Pure
by damientwist
Summary: What fate has brought together, human nature just might tear apart. Seto has his dark past & Ryou his shocking future. Between the two of them there's a whole other world, full of passion & the unexpected. 2 minor OCs, story REALLY picks up @Ch4..COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: YuGiOh and all it's characters are not mine. This is simply a fanfiction.

Warning: The story's current rating is rated M for language, violence, drugs, and other darker or heavier things.

Please remember that this is a fanfiction, therefore some of the locations and characters are not from YuGiOh at all and were added to help fully create my story.

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_Prologue_

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_Off on the distant horizon, the day was about to burst forth with a challenging new light. As it stretched its lengthy arms and beckoned the soldiers of the Fates out of Hades, it called to them that the time was right to prepare for a glorious battle. _

_To the naked eye, each ray of light that peered over the edge of the Earth was simply the start of another day, but something much more sinister was being orchestrated in a dark realm which no human being could see._

_They had decided to insinuate their master plan on this exact morning, for they knew their three male victims were ripe for the picking and just needed to be prodded together to clash into an earsplitting harmony that would perfectly compliment their grand scheme, and predictably end in a symphony of destruction._

_Today, it announced to its army of demons, they would plant a seed of death deep within the bones of the one named Ryou, and they laughed manically as one, for they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that one as tender and weak as him couldn't possibly handle such suffrage, and they were positive that he would quickly be eliminated._

_Today, it reminded its chariots of fire, they would infiltrate the mind of the one named Seto once more, and send their most powerful fiends deep into the recesses of his soul to stir up those heinous things he longed to forget or control, and grins of pleasure filled up their malevolent faces, for they were certain that no person could carry the weight or bear the scars which were heavy on his spirit, and they wrote him off as a mortal that would soon be the conductor of his own demise._

_Today, it shouted to its patient assassins, they would unleash each and every one of its torturous counterparts and seep into the heart of the one named Joey, and piece by piece eat away at everything he held dear, and they released a mighty and pre-victorious battle cry, for they had determined that he was nothing greater than the heel of Achilles, and pridefully stated to one another that he would crumble into nothing before three hundred sunrises and sunsets could be seen._

_Today, it seethed, the meetings and events that had been planned from the moment time began would be set into motion, and it would be the beginning of a beautiful nightmare._

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_Three years earlier_

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_There he was again. _

_That same, sweet, beautiful face that had made Ryou Bakura blush at the sight._

_It had been the first and only time in his life so far that he had felt attracted to anybody. He had only been thirteen years old at the time, and he had known from taking one look at this boy that things were going to get complicated, quickly. This other boy had a year on him, was immensely popular, and viewed as a god by all the girls. Ryou had every doubt in his mind that he would ever have a chance with this guy, no matter what he did, due to his age and high rank with women. Yet, Ryou had hope that this god wasn't completely infatuated with the females, and that instilled in him a bit of blind faith._

_Brushing off his negativity and taking a few soulful breaths, Ryou decided to give it a shot. Slowly, awkwardly, he had approached the boy in the hallway after school one Tuesday. As he had gotten closer, he had caught a glimpse at those gorgeous green eyes and chestnut brown hair that had so poetically inspired and engulfed Ryou's small world. Suddenly, to his surprise, the boy had turned and seen him approaching. He smiled, revealing his perfect porcelain teeth. _

"_Hey, Ryou, what's new?" he had said coolly, leaning back against his locker._

_Ryou had been shocked that he knew his name, and could feel himself getting warmer. _

"_Oh, hey Brian. Not a whole lot...just...on my way over to my locker to get some things and…"_

_Brian had leaned down closer, giving Ryou a whiff of his musky odor. "You didn't come over here to ask me something, did you?"_

_From the pit of his stomach, Ryou could feel the tension rising. "Well, as a matter of fact, yes. You see, I'm not the kind of person to beat around the bush, and I've been meaning to tell you something for quite some time now..."_

_Brian had raised one eyebrow in mock curiosity. "Oh really now? What is it you have been wanting to tell me, my British friend?"_

_Ryou had glanced down at his feet, in fear of his fatal attraction becoming too obvious too soon. "Brian, are you doing anything this Friday night?"_

_He chuckled and dusted some hair out of Ryou's face. The instant that Brian's hand brushed against Ryou's skin he felt strong shivers down his spine._

"_That depends." Brian said quietly, leaning in closer. "What are you asking?"_

_In the heat of the moment, poor Ryou had been so overcome by his god's closeness that his intuition was restricted not only from letting him see how awfully he was being played, but from noticing that several other schoolmates were now gathered around and watching like vultures awaiting the death of their prey.._

"_Well, Brian, I was hoping you could accompany me to the movies come Friday, and perhaps go dine in a restaurant afterwards, and mayb--"_

_A collection of laughter violently exploded in Ryou's face, instantly breaking his trance and flooding him with embarrassment and shame. _

_Holding back tears, he clutched his books tighter and turned, running as fast as he could._

"_Did you see the look on his face, man?" Ryou heard Brian say. "That British freak was totally asking me out on a date with him!"_

_Ryou could feel his heart dissolving in two. "Yeah, dude. He was scary polite."_

"_He's not normal!" Ryou heard a female voice say. "The British boy's a queer!"_

_All the school seemed to be taunting Ryou, and with every step he took all he though about was how foolish he had been in trying to ask out a guy. Back in England, the worst thing that would have happened to him would have been a polite, 'no, thank you', but things were very different here in America. Ryou was beginning to discover how cold hearted these kids were, and it made him long to return to his home._

_How come he had to be attracted to boys, anyway? All the other guys went berserk at the sight of a female body, but Ryou had never felt that way towards one. The boys around him had always been the objects of his desire, yet like Eve and the forbidden fruit, he was not allowed to touch or taste them, for the result would be death. _

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	2. Unexpected Beginnings

Just so you're all aware, in my fanfiction I'm not going to be using any refrences to the Millenium Items. It just seems to work better that way.

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_Chapter One_

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Ryou rolled over in his bed and cautiously opened his eyes halfway, only to have the sun's ray's pierce them shut again. It had been three years since that awful day in middle school, and it still bothered him. Of course, now he no longer had to see those horrible kids, for he had begged and pleaded with Michael, his guardian and father, for them to move away. After weeks of enduring Ryou's cries to leave, he had said yes, and they were now a safe five hundred miles from that cursed place.

That didn't mean all of Ryou's troubles were over, though. Today was going to be the beginning of tenth grade, at an actual high school nonetheless, and his stomach was tying itself in knots. For the past three years he had enjoyed the safety and security that an at home tutor had provided, yet Michael nagged Ryou that it wasn't right for him to go through high school at home, and come the end of his freshman year he had enrolled Ryou in a public school within walking distance from their apartment complex.

_What if it happens to me again?_ Ryou pondered as he pulled on his navy blue school uniform. _What if there's another boy that I'm attracted to? Oh, buggar, it better not be Brian all over again._

Ryou glanced down at his watch and became nervous, noting that it was just about time for him to leave. Grabbing his messenger bag and all his books, he meandered down the stairwell and picked up a piece of fruit to serve as his breakfast.

"I'm off to my first day now!" Ryou shouted, his voice cracking. Coming from down the hall, he heard Michael softly snoring and proceeded to tiptoe out the door, shutting it quietly behind him.

When Ryou got to the school grounds, he was astounded by its size. He had never seen a high school as big as this one before, not to mention the labyrinth of navy blue and pink uniforms that seemed to mesh into one big blotch of color. He wasn't sure which way to his first class, or even which entrance would take him where.

_How come I couldn't just continue being privately tutored? _He pondered as he drank in his new surroundings. _Why did he insist that I go to a high school? I was so comfortable at home, safe and away from any and all of those cold hearted..._

Ryou felt a small tap on his shoulder. He turned around, only to be greeted by a cute brown-eyed boy who had a fairly messy blonde hairdo. "Hey, you must be that new kid the teachers were tellin' us about! You're from Russia, right?"

Ryou blinked, not having expected anyone to have a clue who he was. "Yes, actually…but I'm from England, not Russia. I moved here several years ago, though."

The blonde boy scratched his head. "Russia, England, I was close. Anyhow, the name's Joey Wheeler. What's yours?"

Ryou smiled and held out his hand. "My name is Ryou Bakura."

Joey thrust his hand into Ryou's, shaking it firmly. "Well, nice to meet ya." He glanced to his left and pointed with his free hand. "That sad little group of people is my friends," He said, teasingly. "If you'd like, I could introduce you to them. I'm sure they'd be happy to meet ya."

Ryou shyly shook his head no, although he genuinely appreciated the friendly gesture. "That's very kind of you, but I really should find my classes."

Joey shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, it is your first day and all. I guess it would be best if you got to your classes on time." A wide grin covered his face. "Well, school _is_ about to start." Joey noted, pointing to the big clock face at the center of the building. "If you'd like, I can help you find your classes today. I can just talk to the principle about writing me a late pass, that way I won't get in trouble if I don't get there on time."

Ryou's eyes widened in surprise, and he felt touched that Joey was putting forth such kind efforts towards him. In all his years of being in America, he had never met such a pleasant and friendly teenager before.

"That would be splendid, Joey! I would very much appreciate that."

Joey smirked and gave Ryou a thumbs up. "Sure thing, but first I godda see your schedule so I take you to the right room."

Ryou reached into his pocket and pulled out a half folded sheet of paper, handing it to Joey. He opened it and nodded, his brown eyes drinking in Ryou's schedule.

"Alright, I know where to take ya now. See you later, guys!"

Joey and Ryou waved goodbye to the others and joined the heard of students heading into the largest set of doors.

"Excuse me. Oh, sorry about that. Ouch! You stepped on my foot!" Ryou said as the hallway got more crowded.

Joey glanced over at Ryou. "Yeah, you're definitely not from around here!" he said, smiling. "In this part of the country, the schools are packed." He narrowly dodged a student hauling an oversized tuba case. Glancing back with wide eyes, he concluded, "It's just something you'll get used to."

Ryou cringed as he felt a stray hand run across the small of his back. "Are we almost there?"

"Yep, it's the next doorway on our left. Room 208, Mr. Ripper, Chemistry 101. Don't let his name scare ya, he's harmless. Had him all last year when I was in detention." Joey winked and gestured Ryou into the room.

"I'll be back here at the end of the hour to escort you to your next class, then. See ya, Ryou." Joey said, beginning to leave. Suddenly, he froze and whipped back around. "Oh yeah, one more thing." He peered into the classroom and took a few steps towards Ryou. Leaning in, he whispered, "Be on the lookout for an asshole named Seto Kaiba. That one will take you and tear you to shreds."

Ryou cocked his head to the side, surprised that Joey would use such language. "Oh my, what makes you say that?"

"Just trust me on this, Ryou." Joey said, his expression hardening. He turned back out into the bustling hallway and left.

Ryou sighed and looked around the crowded and noisy room, spying only two empty seats left. Briskly, he walked over to one in the third row and sat down.

A tall man wearing a grey suit walked in, setting his briefcase on what appeared to be the teacher's desk.

"Be sure you've got all your supplies ready, class. The bell will ring any moment now."

Ryou nervously glanced around, noticing a few girls pointing at him and giggling. He gave them a weak smile, creating an uproar of giddy laughter and red cheeks, and making him turn away.

_Just what I wanted; girls to take a liking to me. _Ryou thought disappointedly, propping his head up with one hand and placing his elbow on his desk.

Another student sauntered into the classroom, and his appearance commanded Ryou's full attention. He was tall and slender, with a rather arrogant disposition to his expression. However, that didn't stop Ryou's eyes from examining the boy's flawless features. His rich, chestnut brown hair and piercing ocean blue eyes made a small lump suddenly appear in Ryou's throat.

He felt a wave of desire rush over him, and the room instantly felt warmer. He nearly ceased breathing as he observed the boy's long, graceful legs walk into the room. With each step, he could see the lean muscles of his thighs tense up and relax, driving poor Ryou to the brink of insanity.

The boy stopped at the desk right in front of him, glaring down at a small boy who was already sitting there. "Move it, loser. You're in my seat." He said harshly, and without hesitation the boy leaped out of the seat and darted to the last open one, only to sit down at the same time that the bell rang.

Mr. Ripper stared at the boy who had just come in, taking a glance down at his student roster. He shook his head and sighed. "Seto Kaiba." He said flatly.

"That's who I am," Seto replied, a cold tone to his voice.

Ryou couldn't believe such an attractive person could be so callous. _Perhaps that's why Joey told me to beware of this boy._

"Creating trouble on the first day…" Mr. Ripper's voice trailed off, and he set his roster down on the edge of his desk.

Ryou wasn't sure whether to be overjoyed or flustered that Seto was sitting right in front of him, his back within inches of his reach. Not to mention his silky dark hair…oh no, now his clothes were starting to feel tighter! He lightly pulled on his shirt collar, attempting to loosen its firm grip on his neck.

"Welcome to your first Chemistry class, students…"

Ryou's thoughts began to wander onto the probable asshole named Seto Kaiba.

He could see why Joey gave him the upfront warning, yet those eyes…Ryou felt so drawn to them. This boy was undoubtedly a striking and desirable piece of eye candy, so much so that Ryou questioned whether or not he cared if the boy was as nice to talk to as he was to look at.

Before he could even begin to listen to the lesson, though, the bell rang. _Oh my. I spent the entire hour thinking about that Kaiba boy._ Ryou thought, gathering his things.

"Now I realize that today was only your first day, but we're going to start off this year a little differently." Mr. Ripper said over the commotion building in the hallway. "I will assign you each your Chemistry partner tomorrow. You will work with this person all year on each lab, project, and paper."

Ryou grabbed his stuff and hurried to the door, following all the other students.

"Wait a minute, Ryou." He turned around and saw the teacher standing right behind him.

"Hello, Mr. Ripper." He spoke nervously, hoping his daydreaming had gone unnoticed.

"I'm sorry that I forgot to introduce you to our class. Perhaps tomorrow I can…?"

Ryou shook his head and breathed a quick sigh of relief. "No thank you, Mr. Ripper."

He turned around and saw Joey's smiling face in the doorway.

"So, how did your first class go, Ryou?" Joey asked as they walked up a set of stairs.

Ryou's eyes lit up. "It was unusual!" He laughed. "There was this beautiful boy sitting right in front of me, and I missed the entire lesson because I was so busy staring at him!" He immediately cupped his mouth closed, hoping that either the hall noise had drowned out what he said or that Joey wouldn't care.

Joey nudged Ryou playfully. "That's one of the best things about this school, Ryou. There's an abundance of good looking girls here!" Ryou uncovered his mouth and faked a smile, relieved that Joey hadn't heard him say he had indeed been talking about a beautiful boy.

Sooner then expected, the day was over. The final bell had rung, and Ryou was now heading home. _I can't believe today actually happened_._ First I make real friends, and then I become smitten with the boy who sits right in front of me in first period. On top of that, he seems to be fairly malicious, but perhaps he was just in a sour mood. _He glanced upward at the cloudless sky. _What an unexpected day._

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Seto Kaiba had noticed the new boy right away. He had been easy to spot, with his glistening white hair, equally pale skin, and perfectly ironed uniform, not to mention an attractive and friendly face. Seto had been pleasantly surprised that this newcomer was so handsome, but he dared not to let anyone see how it had enticed him. He was uncomfortable to verbally admit he had same sex attractions, and was reluctant to make them known, for fear of what reciprocations such a move may have on his reputation or his company.

When he had discovered that the pretty new boy was in his class, he felt the need to sit close to him to hopefully find out his name. Once Seto had seen that all the seats nearby him were taken, he had snarled at the kid to go away, so that he might be the one with the privilege of being near the foreign import.

Kaiba now sat in his office building, rapping his fingers on the table.

_Hmm…that new boy…I never learned his name…_

He rotated his chair to the window and gazed out, fingers now rested on his chin.

_Why do I even care about him? Sure he's got the face of an angel, but he'll just turn out like all the rest, jaded and indifferent. _

Kaiba watched all the urban life happening outside his office and took note of all the common chaos that was developing below.

_Besides, even though he might have appeared as sweetly innocent as a child, he's probably just putting on an act. Doesn't want people to know what he's really like…_

"Excuse me, Mister Kaiba sir?"

Kaiba grunted, refusing to turn his chair to see who was talking to him.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Well, I...if you are busy I can come back at a later time."

"You do that." Kaiba retorted. He waited, then heard a door close.

_People just have no respect for solitude anymore._ He massaged his temples and turned his chair back to his desk, forcing himself to stop thinking about the new guy and turn his focus onto something else.

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_As the moon glimmered on the first night of their campaign, the wicked army of demons below the crust of the Earth whispered and mumbled to one another, commenting on how flawlessly the initial twenty four hours of their plan had unfolded. The three mortals couldn't have known how set up their meetings had been, nor did any of them even have the slightest idea that in the near future the anguish of their encounters would begin. _

_Although the three boys had not been directly introduced to one another, the initial contact had been made and they were all aware of the others existence, and secretly they were all intrigued by each other. This greatly pleased the dark family, and they released celebratory cries, for they knew that things could only get better as time played itself out in a blissfully ironic melody._

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	3. Partners?

To all of you who have reviewed or read my story thus far, I want to say thank you.

Also, I want you to know that although I've got a ton of schoolwork to keep up with, I will try to upload a new chapter every week. If it takes a little longer, please don't get mad. It's very challenging some nights to get my work done as well as my writing, so please be considerate.

As an added side note, romance will begin to spark in the next chapter.

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_Chapter Two_

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A gentle knock on Ryou's bedroom door startled him and his hand flinched, causing his pen to stray and create a small black line where a word was intended to be.

"Ryou?" Michael asked through the door. "It's time for dinner."

Ryou breathed softly and shut his journal. "Alright, I'm coming." He set his pen down and stood up, pushing his chair in and heading out the door.

At the dinner table, Michael couldn't help but notice how absent minded Ryou was, observing how he had buttered his napkin and placed his slice of bread in his lap.

Wrapping his fork around some spaghetti noodles, Michael said, "I wouldn't try to eat that if I were you."

Ryou paused, napkin halfway to his mouth. "What?" He asked, genuinely oblivious.

Michael looked up from his plate with one eyebrow raised. "Your napkin,"

Ryou blinked and took a second look at what was in his hand. "Oh, right…" He set the buttered napkin next to his plate and giggled. "Silly me, buttering my napkin…" He removed the bread from his lap and placed it to the side, picking up his fork and stirring it into his spaghetti.

Still watching Ryou, Michael asked, "How was school today?"

"Surprisingly wonderful," Ryou answered, halfheartedly rotating his fork.

"Is that so…" Michael kept his eyes fixed on Ryou, wondering what could have taken place that was making him so distracted and giddy.

"What _happened_ at school today?"

That question drew a smirk and created a soft rosy glow on Ryou's face.

"You're asking me why I'm acting so peculiar, aren't you?"

"Well, yes. That and I'd like to hear how your day was."

Ryou set his fork down and folded his hands, placing them in his lap.

"I made actual friends, for starters. They approached me and everything, were quite curious about me. It was a nice surprise."

Michael smiled, setting his fork down as well. "You didn't meet any boys now, did you?"

Ryou beamed. "As a matter of fact, yes I did meet one boy, a very attractive one at that." He sighed and his grin narrowed. "However, he doesn't seem to like people very much. When he came into class, there was one seat left in the back, but for whatever reason he wanted the one right in front of me, so he snapped at the kid already seated there to leave. Plus he talked rather rudely to the teacher."

"Perhaps he was just in a bad mood." Michael said, shifting in his seat. "What's his name?"

"Seto Kaiba," Ryou answered.

Michael leaned over and took a slice of bread. "Regardless of how he was today, you need to be careful, Ryou. The last thing I want to have happen to you is for you to be hurt by another one of those pretty boys," He glanced up, pointing a butter knife at Ryou. "You hear me?"

Ryou nodded and grinned. "I understand, Michael."

Michael sighed and swiped some butter from the tray, liberally spreading it onto his bread. "This boy sounds like a beautiful disaster waiting to happen." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryou distractedly chewing on his lower lip. He glanced down at his buttered bread slice and then held it up near Ryou's face.

"See? This is what you're supposed to butter, kid." He winked, and their joined laughter soon filled the entire house with a refreshingly pure atmosphere.

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"Ryou! Hey, over here!" Joey shouted, standing on a school bench and waiving at him.

Ryou smiled and waved back, walking towards Joey.

"Good morning, Joey." Ryou said pleasantly.

Joey grinned and jumped down. "Good morning yourself. I was wondering when you were gonna get here!"

Ryou glanced down at his watch. "It's only five to eight, though. Classes don't begin for another ten minutes."

"Yeah, I know. But I was getting lonely here all by myself." He threw his arm around Ryou's shoulders and sat down on the bench, pulling Ryou with him.

Ryou felt a bit uncomfortable being this close to him. He swallowed hard and asked, "Why did you put your arm around me?"

Joey took a deep breath and laid his head on Ryou's shoulder and he twitched, unsure of what to think. "Everyone else was already inside when I got here a few minutes ago, so I just felt alone." He glanced up at Ryou, whose cheeks were bright pink with surprise. Laughing, he lifted his head up and took his arm off of Ryou's shoulders. "You look scared there, Ryou. Don't worry, I wasn't hitting on you." He stood up and brushed his fingers through his untamed hair, softening it out with each stroke. "I get crazy some mornings. Especially when I'm by myself."

Ryou blinked and slowly got up. "I see." He gave Joey a weak smile.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryou saw someone that caught his attention. Turning his head, he discovered Seto Kaiba leaning against a tree, all alone.

Joey watched Ryou stare at something for a few moments and then turned his own head. However, he disregarded Seto and laid eyes on a tall, blonde girl standing a few feet away from Ryou's actual focal point.

"Ah, so I see you've got your eyes set on Victoria, eh?" Joey slapped Ryou on the back, causing him to stumble forward. "She's a looker, all right. I myself had my sights set on her last year, but things just didn't click."

Seto looked over, distracted by a noise. He watched Ryou stumble and catch himself, and also noticed Joey's incessant mouth in motion.

_What the hell is someone like that doing with a mutt like Joey?_ Seto thought.

"Wheeler!" He barked, heading towards him.

Joey's eyes suddenly seemed to light on fire. "What do you want, Kaiba?" He sneered and made a fist.

Seto stopped directly in front of Ryou, who gazed up with big brown eyes. Crossing his arms, he said, "I want to know who your newest playmate is." He shifted his gaze over to Joey.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know." Joey replied between clenched teeth.

Seto Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "What, I can't know his name? Does he belong to you?"

Joey narrowed his gaze and raised his voice. "There is no way in hell I would let a prick like you get anywhere near someone as nice as him!"

A hard silence filled the air between Joey and Seto.

"I'm Ryou Bakura," He said shyly, his cheeks turning pinker by the second.

Simultaneously, Seto and Joey turned their heads to look at him. Seto grinned, and Joey smacked himself in the face.

"See how simple that had to be, Wheeler? No harm done." He took a second look at Joey and chuckled, then stared at Ryou for a moment before heading into the building.

"Yeah, right, no harm done, asshole." Joey mumbled, flipping Kaiba's back off.

Ryou was shocked at Joey. "What's so wrong with Seto?" He asked.

Joey tugged on his backpack strap, yanking it up. "Everything's wrong with him. For starters, he always treats people like they're inferior to him. I bet even his own brother doesn't always love him."

"He's got a brother?"

Joey gazed down at the ground. "Yeah, a younger one. Kaiba doesn't seem to really appreciate him, though. At least, not from what I saw the few times I got to see them together." His eyes met Ryou's, a rejected glow in them. "Whatever you do, don't try to get close to him. You'll just get burned."

Ryou wasn't entirely sure what Joey meant by that, but he nodded anyways.

"Come on, Ryou, we should get to class. It's just about time for the bell to ring." He turned and sauntered up the steps, Ryou following close behind him.

Ryou sat down right after the bell rang.

"Made it just in time to join us, Ryou." Mr. Ripper said, his hand swiftly checking him off on his attendance sheet.

"Well good morning, class. Today I am going to start by pairing you off into your assigned lab partners so that we may begin to learn about lab safety and go over just what you should expect to be doing with your partner."

Ryou felt uneasy, and began to fidget.

Mr. Ripper shuffled some papers on his desk. "Ryou Bakura, you will be paired with Megan King."

Ryou began to relax. From the back of the room, a hand shot up.

"Seto Kaiba, you will be paired with--" he paused his reading and took notice of the hand. "Yes, Nicole?"

"Megan switched her schedule yesterday, so she's not in this hour anymore."

Mr. Ripper nodded and rubbed his chin. "Very well then. Ryou Bakura, you will be paired with Seto Kaiba for this year."

Ryou froze.

_Seto Kaiba…? Did I hear him properly? _

He raised his hand. "Excuse me, but who did you say my partner was?"

Mr. Ripper gestured towards the boy seated in front of him. "Seto Kaiba, Ryou. He's going to be your partner for this year."

"Oh, alright. Thank you." Ryou sat stiffly in his seat while Mr. Ripper listed the rest of the pairs.

"Now I would like you all to switch your seats, so that your assigned partner may be on one side of you."

Seto Kaiba turned around and looked at Ryou, who was a soft shade of red.

"You moving up here or what?"

Ryou was a bit stunned at Seto's nonchalance, but got up and took a seat to the left of him. He could feel Seto's icy eyes staring at him, just waiting for Ryou to meet his gaze. He wasn't able to look him directly in the eyes, though, which frustrated Seto. "Are you deaf?" he asked, insensitively.

Ryou felt slightly hurt, and the look he gave Seto once he brought himself to meet his eyes revealed that pain. Seto felt a small pang of regret, yet forced himself to continue his masquerade and remain silent, turning back towards the front.

"Now that you all know who your partner is, let me explain what to expect. This year, you two will be required to complete a few papers, multiple labs, and one or two science projects. Your first assignment as a pair is to simply get to know one another, find out what your likes and dislikes are, as well as a few of their hobbies or what their aspiration is." Several students groaned, and he held up his hand. "You will be expected to know about your partner by Friday, which gives you two days to meet with and talk to them." He stepped out from behind his desk. "Now I know what you're all thinking: what does this have to do with Chemistry? My answer is it doesn't have anything to do with this subject. However, seeing as how you will be with this person for the whole year, I find it best that you get to know who they are before you're stuck with them for the whole year and can't do a thing about it. Come Friday after you have spent some time with your partner, if you realize that you won't be getting along, you may ask for a reassignment." He glanced around the room. "However, I won't make changes simply so you may be with your best friend." A few more students groaned, and Mr. Ripper stepped back to his desk.

The moment class was over, Ryou flung himself out of his seat and darted out the door, nearly bumping into Joey.

"Whoa there, Ryou. Slow down. What's the big hurry for?" Joey saw Seto Kaiba in the doorway, glaring over towards him.

His eyes narrowed. "That Kaiba bastard. God, I'd love to wring his neck someday." He pummeled his hands together, his death glare stalking Seto until he was out of sight.

Ryou took a deep breath. "Can you believe he's my assigned lab partner?"

Joey's eyes grew wide. "Your _lab partner_??" He exclaimed, brow furrowing. "I'm going in there to talk to that teacher right now, and so help me-"

"No, Joey! You don't need to." Ryou placed his hand gently on Joey's arm.

"Oh, so you…already talked to him, then? Good. Saves me a bit of work."

"Well, not exactly…" Ryou's voice trailed off, but Joey didn't notice.

- - - - - - - -

The apartment door slammed shut behind Ryou, and he slouched against it.

_By god, I can't believe I've been assigned to be with Seto Kaiba. On the other hand, though, this may be a good opportunity to see what he's like without any strings attached. Maybe he'll be nicer in private._

"Hey, you're home!" In a moment, Ryou was swept up into a hug, then gently set back down.

Michael smiled at Ryou, who was looking down at his feet with a distant stare.

"Why such an expression?" He pushed some stray hairs out of Ryou's face, and led him out of the doorway.

"Seto Kaiba," He replied, glancing up. "He's my assigned lab partner."

Michael rubbed his shoulder. "Oh no."

Ryou smirked. "Well, he was still quite brash at school, but I'm hoping that he's just putting on a tough front. Our first assignment together is to simply have a chat and get to know one another."

Michael rubbed his chin. "That seems like a weird thing to give."

Ryou shook his head. "Mr. Ripper says that way we can see if our lab partner will be a problem, so we can let him know by Friday if he needs to change who we're with."

"Why didn't you just tell him today that there was going to be a problem?"

Ryou looked into the corner. "I was hoping that within the next few days I could go and talk to Seto privately, to see if he's really as crude at school as he is when alone and unprovoked."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "_Privately_ talk with him? Ryou, are you being serious?"

Ryou slowly shook his head up and down.

"Why can't you just talk to him at school?"

"The only class we have together is Chemistry, and I don't think we'd have enough time before school…you trust me, don't you?"

"I completely trust _you_. It's people like _him_ who I don't." He bent down and became eye level with Ryou. "If you're left alone with him, he could toy with you or harass you, or cause you physical harm, or--"

Ryou covered Michael's mouth with two fingers, gently biting his own lip. "Please, Michael, just let me go and talk to him. I promise you, I'll be very careful and keep my guard up." He removed his fingers and gazed into Michael's eyes, pleading with him to offer total control.

Michael pulled Ryou into a hug. Taking a deep breath, he said, "You can only go and talk to him if you meet him at his company and don't spend more that two hours with him, do you hear me?"

Ryou pulled back for a moment. "What company?"

"I found out today that Seto Kaiba's the owner of Kaiba Corp. You know, that big gaming company?"

Ryou's eyes widened, not expecting that. "Oh my."

Michael laughed. "You would think I would have caught that sooner." He pulled Ryou close again and whispered, "I hope that for your sake I'm making the right choice by allowing you to go over there."

"When can I go over?"

"Perhaps tomorrow after school I can drive by and drop you off. I'd like to see this guy for myself too, that way I can know whether or not I can trust him alone with you." He answered, gently touching the tip of Ryou's nose.

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Seto Kaiba was anxiously tapping his phone, waiting for his secretary to pick up the other end.

"Yes, Mister Kaiba, sir?"

"I need you to connect me to a kid from school."

"Name, sir?"

"Ryou Bakura."

Seto heard her fingers rapidly typing on her keyboard, then silence.

"I'm connecting you right now, Mister Kaiba," she replied, hanging up her line.

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Ryou Bakura was just about to take a bite of a banana when his phone began to ring. Puzzled, he stood up and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello Ryou," Seto said, with a tone of warmth to his greeting.

"Um…hello Kaiba. What…what are you calling for? And how on earth did you get my number?"

Seto chuckled into the phone. "I was planning on you coming over to my office tonight. We've got to get our homework done, you know."

"It's not due for another two days, you realize."

"I'm not stupid, Ryou." Seto said gently. "I like getting my work done as soon as possible, that way I don't have to worry about it anymore."

Michael came out of the living room and stood next to Ryou, waiting to hear who he was talking to. Ryou pressed the speakerphone button and set the phone down. "Well, alright—"

"I don't want to talk over the phone with you." Seto said. "I'm going to have my driver come by your house and pick you up, that way we can get this done in person."

Michael shook his head no, and Ryou made a face. Michael crossed his arms and said, "Kaiba, I'm not sure that I trust my son with you."

Seto was a bit surprised to hear another voice, and he felt slightly on edge. "In case you don't know, I'm far too important to do or say anything that would put me or my company on the line. You have nothing to worry about."

Michael looked at Ryou's pleading face and shook his head. "Fine, he can go. You better bring him back within two hours though, you got that?"

"Whatever makes you happy," Kaiba said lifelessly. He hung up.

- - - - - - - -

_Hades itself could hardly contain its excitement, for every fiend that called it home was heavily anticipating what havoc they would be wreaking in only a matter of hours. Their black eyes grew vibrant with a passionate lust for evil, and their lips grew wet with desire as they thought about infiltrating and demolishing the lives of the three boys who didn't even see it coming._

_Tomorrow, they knew, it all would begin._


	4. Kaiba Corp

This chapter took me quite some time to write, and I hope that you enjoy its content as much as I do.

I dedicate this chapter to the memory of Matthew Shepard, who was brutally murdered on October 12th ten years ago because of his sexuality. May his soul rest forever in peace.

(If a charatcer acts out of his norm or talks differently, there's probably more happening with them then I'm willing to reveal in the chapter. As each part of my story is put on here, things will be made clear and you'll fully understand why they were being like that.)

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_Chapter Three_

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The rain drops seemed to be falling in sync, creating a soothing beat of their own. As Ryou gazed out the window of the limousine, he began to feel a bit drowsy, the gentle music of the sudden downpour lulling him into a daze.

He was about to rest his head on the door when it suddenly opened, a draft of chilling October wind instantly restoring his vigor.

As he stepped out and looked around, he was astonished at the size of the all-glass building towering in front of him, its mammoth proportions seeming to mock his petty existence and place a spirit of insignificance within him.

_Is this Kaiba Corp?_ Ryou thought, only to be answered when he saw those two words branded on the front entrance.

"This way," A voice boomed, and Ryou turned to see a muscular man wearing a black suit motioning towards the open door. Still surprised by the opulence of the building, he gingerly stepped forward and followed the brawny man inside.

Ryou was led to an elevator, where he found yet another suited man standing in front of the steel doors. Upon spotting the white haired guest, he pressed the button and the doors swung open.

"Step in," He gruffly commanded, entering after Ryou and pushing a code in on a digital keypad.

Within seconds, the elevator closed and shot up, causing Ryou to lurch forward and grab onto the handrail. The suited man chuckled as he watched Ryou adjust to the high speeds of the automated machine.

Almost as soon as the upward ascent had started, it stopped, giving Ryou one last jolt before reopening the doors.

The man stepped out first. "This is Mister Kaiba's private office." He glimpsed back at the boy, who was wide-eyed and still gripping the rail. "You must be something special to be allowed full access of _this_ floor," He said curtly.

_Full access?_ Ryou questioned, exiting the elevator.

The man straightened his poise and cleared his throat. "Mister Kaiba, Ryou Bakura is here, just as you requested."

Ryou skimmed the room, noticing how plain yet lavish it was. In one corner there were mahogany bookshelves, a leather sofa, and a flat screen television. At the other end of the room there was a long table, neatly decorated with artwork as well as a coffee pot and bakery items. In the heart of the room stood a single black steel desk and one high-backed black chair, turned to face the windowed wall.

"Wonderful. Now get out of here." Seto snapped from his seat, his back still angled to them. Almost robotically, the man turned and went back inside the steel car, doors sliding shut behind him.

The chair rotated to face the lone visitor. Seated there, Seto looked rather ominous, the soft grey sky glazing over his face and the bursts of lightning creating an intimidating glow that danced around his expression, making his supposedly friendly smirk appear to be wicked.

"I see you arrived in one piece," He spoke, resting his face in his hand.

Ryou rubbed his shoulder, a sudden chill tingling his spine. "Yes, barely. That elevator of yours is rather brutal." He took a few steps forward, inching closer to Seto. Halting in front of a plush chair, he asked, "If you've got so much money, how come the ride up here is so…" He glanced up at Seto, who was eyeing him curiously.

"…uncomfortable?" Ryou's question sounded more like a statement, and Seto didn't move.

"I enjoy the abrupt end. It keeps me vigilant." He responded, shuffling a few papers on his overly organized desk.

Ryou's pale cheeks flushed red as he observed Seto's long, steady fingers gracefully straighten and touch each page, almost lovingly restoring every one to its proper position.

Looking up from his desk, Seto noticed Ryou's deep eyes drinking in his every move, awkwardly rubbing his arm and leaning against a chair.

"You _can_ sit down, you know," Seto said, pointing to the seat Ryou was leaning against. He was just about to sit down when Seto spoke up. "No, not all the way over there. You can't have a meaningful conversation with someone who's all the way across the room. Now get up and bring that chair over here."

Ryou did as he was told, feeling as foolish as a child for the thought not crossing his mind earlier. With both hands he carefully dragged it over, and with every move he made, Seto's eyes were following, ecstatically glued to Ryou's slender physique.

The pale boy was still mildly pink as he shifted himself in his seat to be directly facing Seto. There was a moment of silence, then Ryou began to nervously fiddle with his thumbs. "How did you get this company? Did you inherit it from your father?"

Seto grimaced and crossed his arms, turning his attention to the unexpected downpour outside. "Funny that should be the first thing you ask,"

"Oh, I'm sorry…should I have started by asking something else? Like…how are you?"

Seto snickered. Although his eyes were pretending to study the rainfall outside, Ryou could tell that his real focal point was something distant, something intangible.

"From my stepfather. If you could call him that." Seto muttered.

"I apologize…." Ryou replied softly. "…it must have been a difficult divorce for you to handle."

Seto's eyes narrowed, and Ryou could see that his questions were beginning to strike a raw spot within him.

"No." Seto stated indifferently.

"A death, then?" Ryou inquired, daring to take his chances and push his luck further.

Seto veered his chair around so that his back was once again facing Ryou.

"Who do you think you are, Oprah?" Seto mumbled. "You think you can just walk in here with an immaculate expression and ask me whatever you please, expecting me to reveal to you my life story?"

Ryou's hopes that Seto possibly had a sweeter disposition in private were waning fast. He sighed, and as he exhaled he felt his heart begin to sink.

Seto paused, waiting for Ryou to snap back or physically go after him, but nothing happened. He turned, half expecting to find Ryou either headed towards the elevator from which he came or with a weapon in hand, for most people tended to yield that response to Seto's character. Yet all he saw were two tender brown eyes gazing back at him, and he was almost certain that he could sense a smidgen of hurt within them.

"What makes you care?" Seto said, severing the heavy barrier that had formed in the air.

Ryou shamefully glanced down at the floor, then looked back up at Seto, his face still as hard as it always had been. "I just want to get to know you, Seto. I want to be your friend." A temporary smile flashed on his face, then dissolved back to a troubled pout. "At least, I thought I wanted to." He sighed, too absorbed in his thoughts to notice how large Seto's eyes had become. "I was hoping that you were just in a sour mood at school, that perhaps if I were to talk to you alone you would be more…more human."

His words stirred Seto's emotions, raising every hair on his body. He could feel his blood beginning to boil, his veins straining to contain themselves under his rising pressure. His hands craved to lash out at the person who had dared to talk so boldly, yet once his eyes rested upon the harmless little cherub who sat ever so calmly, ever so perfectly, all his anger seemed to disintegrate.

_What the hell is wrong with me_? Seto thought, clenching his teeth and redirecting his frustrations back to himself.

"Human." He breathed, voice seeping with passion. He pushed his chair away from his desk and stood up, back facing Ryou once more. "What the fuck do you know about humans."

Gnawing on his bottom lip, Ryou could feel the distance between them becoming more vast. "I know they can be the cruelest of creatures," Ryou muttered. "I've had a few unpleasant experiences of my own, to tell the truth."

Seto snickered. "Is that right." He brushed a few stray hairs out of his face, then added, "So tell me Ryou, what heartless things have happened to you? How many people have stepped on you?" His temper and voice began to rise.

"How many times have you been abandoned? How many times have you been treated as though you were nothing more than some trash scooped out of an orphanage?" Seto's voice had now accumulated to a shout, and everything inside of him was boiling up, waiting to blow up at the next probing thing that was sent his way.

Ryou was stunned silent. Seto shook his head and gripped his arms tighter. "Due to your reluctance to speak, I would say that your so called unpleasant experiences are incomparable to my own." Turning around, he concluded, "You have no idea what humans are truly like."

Ryou forced himself to stand. "Just because you've had mostly negative experiences with other people doesn't mean that they're all like that."

Seto sneered. "What are you, God's angel sent from above, come to reveal to me the joys of mankind?" His question was half serious, and part of him hoped Ryou was intelligent enough to catch on.

Blushing, Ryou took a few baby steps forward, daring to inch closer to Seto. He got so near him that he now had to cock his head up to be able to look at him.

For a precious few seconds, Seto and Ryou's eyes locked in place, momentarily examining one another's unspoken words. Not wanting Ryou to discover too much, Seto snapped his head up, redirecting his gaze to the far wall.

Even though it had only been for a brief amount of time, Ryou had seen enough

to become well aware that Seto was chock full of emotional baggage. Within those ocean blue eyes was a sea of mystery and pain, desperately trying to hide behind a cold stone wall. Ryou grasped his own hand tightly, swearing to himself that he would find a way to break through this internal dam, for he knew that somewhere in Seto's being, there was a person as delicate and beautiful as a rosebud, just needing the right care and guidance to blossom into something magnificent.

Something soft caressed Ryou's cheek, drawing him out of his philosophical daydream. It sent delicate waves of peace into his soul, and he released a soft gasp.

Watching Ryou's frustrated expression fade into something so precious nearly took Seto's breath away. He had never met anyone so self-assured and sensitive before, and his mere presence had maneuvered its way down to the center of his heart, touching him in places he once thought to be unreachable.

Even though he could sense that this boy was indeed unlike the others, his logical side began to remind him of all the scars in his past, the ones given and the ones received, and it warned Seto to get no closer.

Ryou cautiously placed his hand on top of Seto's, absorbing the warmth of his body heat. His lips burned with a strong desire to place themselves on top of Seto's, but he knew that would be too dangerous to try with this emotional minefield.

Seto pulled his hand off of Ryou's porcelain cheek, dissolving their touch.

"Ryou," He whispered, not looking at him. "Not everybody is as benevolent as they make themselves out to be."

Ryou shook his head slowly, and Seto reconnected their gaze. "You better watch yourself, Ryou. Especially around people like me." After another few seconds of being intertwined in his supple brown eyes, Seto stepped back and faced the window again. "You could get burned."

Standing there, Ryou could tell that Seto was forcing himself to seem invulnerable. He knew that what he had learned tonight was going to have to suffice, for he didn't want to push him over the edge again.

"Good night then, Seto." Ryou said, but he didn't respond. Figuring that was going to be all that he was going to get Seto to say, he turned slowly, watching Seto's still form in hope that he would do one more thing before he left, but nothing happened. He plodded back to the treacherous elevator and pressed the button, stepping inside right after the doors glided open. As he watched Seto's office disappear behind the steel doors, his energy felt renewed, and he was confident that Seto did possess a heart after all. It would just take some gentle coaxing to bring it out, to tame it and restore it.

Nothing else could possibly have made Ryou happier then having the luxury of doing just that.

The only thing that his optimism had overlooked were the skeletons in Seto's closet. Although most of them were indeed dead and gone, a few of them still had flesh, a beating heart, a readied needle, and were pulsating through his veins right now.

- - - - -

_The fiends' laughter grew so loud that it sounded like a roll of thunder, for the first light wave of their army had been released. It was a time of dark happiness in their world, for now that the first line had been broken, the rest of their cohorts now had nothing holding them back. _

_There was nothing on Earth or inthe nonexistent Heaven that could possibly stop their dastardly plans now._

_Or so they thought, but little did they know that as they rejoiced in a victory not yet won, a little spark had been lit and was gently burning within the heart of one of the three boys, soon to either be smothered out or fanned higher by his own personal choice…_

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	5. Reminiscence

I am sorry that this chapter took longer to post than usual. My professors gave me enough work this past week to sink a ship.

Regardless, I hope you enjoy it.

Be aware, though, that this is a very detailed chapter, so pay close attention to everything that is said, done, or thought. Also, there is a lot of reminiscing that happens in this chapter, so it might get a bit confusing if you don't thoroughly read it.

I'd like to say thank you once more to all of you who have reviewed, read, or favorited my story. It makes me very glad to know that you're enjoying my writing enough to faithfully read each new posting :)

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_Chapter Four_

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A loud scream slashed through the still apartment complex, destroying the cool air that had hung so serenely just moments ago. Ryou was ripped from his sleep, startled by the unexpected noise.

It was only when he sat up and felt a sharp pain slice through his entire body that he realized the screams had been his own.

Ryou tried to muffle his cries, but as the throbbing pain swept over him again he let out another shriek, this one more intense then the last.

Mere moments later, his head was pounding from a massive headache, and his stomach felt as though he had been spinning for days.

Ryou was in so much agony that he could barely keep his eyes open, and what little he could see was becoming clouded due to fresh tears.

_What's happening…! _Ryou thought, unable to hold himself upright anymore. He fell back into a horizontal position, only to have his body pierced with another round of pain, drawing a shrill cry from his lips.

_Why isn't Michael coming?? _He questioned, clenching his teeth together. As painful as it was for Ryou to move, he wanted to know the cause of his suffering. Cautiously he pushed himself up, but that just created more discomfort, forcing him to drop down again. Through his foggy vision, he noticed several large, dark circles over his body. Temporarily squeezing his eyes shut to let excess tears out, he lifted his arm up near his face to examine it.

_These…these are bruises! _Ryou's eyes instinctively widened to get a better look, and to his surprise his whole body was covered in nearly black contusions, each one seeming to be the cause of his torment.

_Why, I'm coated in them! _He began to weep, half out of fear and half out of pure misery.

Ryou felt a warm, salty substance fill his mouth. He spit, expelling the fluid onto his chest. Much to his alarm, blood now was splattered across his pale abdomen, casting an eerie glow against his fair skin.

_Oh god! _

His body twisted, yearning to discover a position that would provide some relief. He was mentally within reach of his pain threshold, and subconsciously knew that if someone, anyone, did not hear him and come soon, he was going to die.

Ryou tried to inhale a deep breath, hoping to regain some sanity by doing so, but was stopped short. His lungs were not fully expanding! He breathed faster, gasping for air, and unintentionally sped up his own suffocation.

_What…how…did..this..happen…_ Ryou's mind ceased to process anything, and he could no longer breathe.

Seconds later, his body went limp.

- - - - -

Crashing to the floor, Ryou awoke with a start. He was panting heavily, his mouth covered by a soft object. He ripped it off his face and stared at it in disbelief.

_It was only a bloody pillow_! Distraught, he tossed it across the room.

Ryou sat frozen for a few minutes, then curled his knees up under his face and held himself close, trembling like a leaf in a brutal windstorm.

_What a ghastly nightmare. _He took a good look at his arms and legs, checking for any black circles.

_It felt so…real. I could sense everything, even my death! _He observed that his hands were drained of color, but otherwise found nothing out of the ordinary.

_No bruises…no pain…_ He swallowed, checking for a salty taste.

_No blood…_

"Ryou?" Michael stood in the doorway, gaping at the quivering pale boy whose eyes looked larger than usual.

"Are you okay?" He ran into the room, throwing his arms around Ryou before he could respond.

"I heard a thud." Michael said into his ear. Pulling back to look directly at his face, he asked, "What happened?"

Ryou was staring into the distance, his mind elsewhere. "I died, Michael." He muttered hoarsely, a far-off look on his face.

Michael touched Ryou's forehead, checking whether or not his temperature was normal. "What are you talking about?"

Ryou's focus was still in another place. His eyes began to well up with tears, and he bit his lip apprehensively. "In my dream..." He glanced down at his hand, turning it to check once more for any unnatural discoloration.

"It was dreadful." He drew himself back into reality and locked eyes with Michael.

"I woke up screaming, was in a terrible amount of pain. Every part of me hurt…" He shuddered. "Then when I was able to bring myself to examine my body to find the source of my suffering, I found black bruises all over."

Worriedly, Michael stroked his fingers through Ryou's hair. He sat down next to his son and pulled him close, hoping to bring some relief. Ryou tightly wrapped his arms around him, still shivering.

"Subsequently, I panicked and lost the ability to breathe…I thought I was actually dying!" He cried, grasping Michael's robe in his hand.

Michael lightly kissed Ryou's head, holding his tender face close to him.

"So that's what made you fall out of bed?" He gently inquired, noticing that Ryou's shakes were diminishing.

He nodded, softly crying into the warm fabric of Michael's robe.

Michael rubbed his shoulder, attempting to think of the right words to say.

"At least today's Saturday. You can spend the whole rest of the day doing whatever you please."

After a moment of nonverbal communication, Michael spoke again, "I know I already asked you this, Ryou, but are you sure everything went well when you were at Kaiba Corp three days ago? There wasn't something he said or did that could have triggered your nightmare, was there?"

Ryou slowly looked up and wiped his face off with his sleeve, a feeling of guilt beginning to creep into him.

_Well, I didn't tell you everything that happened, but-_

"No, that was fine." He dropped his head back onto Michael's chest and he sighed, knowing precisely what his father was alluding to.

"I'll quit asking you, then. But Ryou, if there is ever a problem of any sort, you know you can tell me anything."

"Yes, I know…" Ryou mumbled. He felt bad that he hadn't told Michael the intimate details of what had happened that night three days prior, but he really didn't want him to get too involved in his relationship with Seto. After all, if he was to ever become his own person, he was going to have to start somewhere. The best place that he could think of was in his personal life, and as difficult as it was, he would have to teach himself through trial and error how to deal with it. Besides, Seto had nothing to do with his nightmare. He hadn't done a single evil thing to Ryou, aside from a few harsh words here and there, and he felt that there had to be another reason as to where his dream had come from.

Michael lightly squeezed his arm, and gazed down into Ryou's frightened eyes. He could see that his son still had the sweet innocence that typically only a small child possessed. Shifting his vision elsewhere, he began to wonder if Ryou would ever be strong enough mentally as well as physically to really be able to handle life and the world around him. For, if this was how he reacted to a nightmare, no matter how realistic or bloodcurdling it was, he was almost afraid to see how he would handle relationship issues, diseases, and the general ups and downs that would come with being an adult. He knew that all traumatic events Ryou would experience would either make or break him in the long run, and he desperately hoped it would be the former.

Memories of when Ryou had been in middle school flooded back to him as he watched his son tremble in his arms. He recalled those few years earlier, when he had found himself in a very similar position. That day, Ryou had come home, face drenched in tears and his arms clutching onto his books for dear life, his entire body quivering in shock. Upon the moment he had seen Michael, he had fallen over, barely caught in time by his father's strong arms. It had taken him nearly four hours to finally calm down and be thoroughly soothed by Michael. In the weeks to come, Ryou had persistently begged if they could move away and give it another shot elsewhere.

Having thought that Ryou was simply going through a youthful phase in his life, he agreed that they could start over again and leave that part of the country. It hadn't been too hard for him to relocate his work, since teachers of all sorts were in high demand all over the nation.

Nevertheless, here he sat now, seemingly frozen in Déjà vu. Ryou hadn't grown any tougher, and it struck a chord of trepidation in his heart. His greatest fear was that his son would be swallowed up by the daily tremors that crashed in and out of life, and judging by how he had taken his preceding quandaries, he felt uneasy about what that could mean for his future.

_You can't just run away from all your problems, Ryou. You can't let them control your life._ _I was stupid for thinking that leaving our old town would solve everything. All it seems to be doing is creating more trouble, and I'm the one to blame. I know that you are not the toughest person out there by nature, yet I don't sense any strengthening in you. I don't want some little trifle to be your downfall. _Michael thought, having had similar words replayed in his mind over and over again for the past year. He knew that one day soon he would have to speak them to Ryou's face and hope for the best possible reaction, but for now offering up what little security he had would have to be enough.

Michael's thoughts wandered back once more to the pretty boy Seto Kaiba, whom had been the topic of discussion for Ryou since day one of the new school year. Yet, as much as Michael wanted to believe that his son had been telling him everything that was going on between them, he had a mild but unremitting suspicion that there was more happening then what Ryou had divulged.

A sudden breeze whipped into the room through an open window, lingering on Ryou's skin and pricking him with chilled kisses. He shivered, and the wind came as swiftly as it left.

He stared at the window that was several feet away, spying the midmorning sun gradually ascending into the sky, where it would stop to reign over the day.

Ryou flinched as a bundle of dead leaves was blown against the glass, blocking out his view of the sky.

There was an abrupt drop in the pit of Ryou's stomach. He had a hunch, a premonition, that as these dead leaves symbolized the beginning of winter and bitter cold, his dream was simply a foreboding that the worst was yet to come.

- - - - -

_The still atmosphere around him was flooded by a ringing sound, causing him to drop his needle. Upon hitting the hard cement ground, it shattered, sending remnants of glass and cocaine into every corner of the room._

_Seto felt uneasy, it being his first time experimenting with drugs. He licked his lips, feeling a rush of exhilaration pulsating through his veins. As he looked around the room he was in, everything became so vivid; lifeless colors now seemed to burst with vitality. Everything had such an alarming depth and resilience; and such a sight sent harmonious waves of contentment through his being. Sounds were intense and personified, his own breaths like a heartbeat against piano keys. _

_A velvety moan caressed his lips and flowed out of his mouth, and for the first time in years his mind felt stable and secure. He had grown so weary of the frequent mood swings, and had desired a means of escape. Here he sat now, fully aware of his surroundings and completely serene._

_However, his system felt otherwise, and the deluge of the crystalline substance was far too intense for him to handle. Violent, insufferable gusts of pain stabbed him in the stomach, forcing him to keel over and expel what little bits of food had been inside. Within seconds, another antagonizing blow was delivered by the drug, and Seto heaved again. The vomiting seemed to last forever, each thrust sucking away at his energy. After a few more gags, he collapsed out of exhaustion, mouth bone dry and stomach burning from the downpour of acids. He landed hard, but was so distracted by his gastrointestinal distress that he didn't really feel the cement cracking at his dead weight, tearing at his ligaments. His body contorted into the fetal position, offering momentary relief from all his suffering._

_He wanted to die right then and there, escape from all his mental discrepancies and physical ailments, and be buried forever in the cool Earth below to rest undisturbed for all eternity. _

_As he pondered this taunting idea of death, he recalled that there were two people who needed him. No, only one now, his memory corrected. The other relationship he had destroyed with three words and one slash, and left it to die. _

_His head was twirling around so rapidly that all directions were meaningless, he could have been positioned up or down, and he would never have had the ability to tell which way he was indeed facing. _

_After a final dry convulsion of his stomach, a final cry excreted from his lips, he plummeted into a deep and troubled slumber._

- - - - -

Seto closed his eyes, dropping his heavy head against the windowsill behind him. For the hundredth time his mind had replayed that first forbidden encounter with the drug, each time the memory only haunting him more.

_It was only one time. One shot, one high. That's all it took._

He glanced down at his arm, tenderly stroking the small scar that the needle had engraved into him. Even though it had been nearly a year since his first use of cocaine, the thought of another round of it beckoned to him. Those colors, those sounds…they were so eloquent, so unlike the pitiful world that he lived in. Although he had greatly suffered minutes afterwards, the exuberance for life that had come upon him in a mighty surge was reason enough for him to crave more.

If not for his younger brother Mokuba, his soul would probably be bound to the stimulant right now. Mokuba had been the sole person who had kept him alive, whom he had refused another shot of cocaine for.

That was before he had met Joey, though.

He remembered every detail of their relationship perfectly. How adorable and clueless he had first appeared to be, their first attempt at a conversation. Joey had been a somewhat difficult person to get to know, but after several weeks of small talk he had viewed Seto as a friend. Many weekends they had spent together, occasionally going out for dinner and a movie. Most of their time they had spent passionately bantering back and forth, only for them to reconcile their differences by collapsing amorously into one another, painting each others lips with fiery, youthful love. They had been the perfect compliments to one another, Joey being so willing to give affection and Seto's heart desperately in need of some romantic attention.

Nothing seemed to have enough power to destroy their bond.

So they thought, until Seto's moods shifted again.

The lithium prescription that his doctor had given him to aid with his bipolar had started to affect him less, and within two days he found himself injecting cocaine every few hours, gradually adapting to the effects of the stimulant.

Within those two days, however, the demons that lived inside his mind had reared their ugly heads again, sending sporadic and unexpected fits of rage through him.

Joey had simply been there at the wrong time, and the two drugs within Seto had intertwined, and he found himself unintentionally growing to hate the blond. Somehow a knife had found its way into his possession, and as he gazed down into its lustrous steel body, an unholy and mysterious eruption of hate split his mind into two parts, the chemically imbalanced half dominating his body.

He had headed straight towards Joey, knife wielded in his hand, and with one swipe of its blade he had left a deep, open wound on his inner thigh. Blood had spewed everywhere, and a sickening scream came from Joey's mouth. Seto had dropped the knife, a heinous, unnatural smile painted on his face. The look that Joey had given Seto was heartbreaking, but it wasn't until weeks afterwards that he had realized such. He had tried to apologize a few times, but Joey always snapped at him, refusing the possibility of any reconciliation between the two previous lovers.

Seto fully understood why Joey had grown to hate him, and yet…it had taken him months of therapy and drug rehab to recover from the loss of their relationship and come to terms with what he had done, not to mention all the legal papers and state mental exams he had to pass to be allowed in the general public again. The courts also had ruled him unfit to watch over and care for his brother, and had requested that social services take him away. The Judge had taken special mercy on their case, however, and decided that if Seto would agree to finding a suitable guardian that was at least a hundred miles from his office building, then in three years Seto would be allowed to regain full custody, so long as he didn't relapse.

Here he sat now, alone in a windowsill, the idea of another round of cocaine toying with his mind. He had refused it for so long now, the rehab center having nearly cured him of his dependency.

_Nothing lasts forever. _Seto thought, watching the warmth of his breath decorate the cool pane. There was an angelic glow cast around the moist film, which dissipated in seconds.

The sight of such a luminescent thing reminded him of Ryou, his latest fascination. It almost disturbed him how pure and delicate a person could be, especially a boy in his teenage years. It was a rare thing indeed to find even a child who was that innocent or naïve, yet that attracted Seto to him all the more. His glistening hair, his porcelain skin…everything about him was simply beautiful. The way he had responded to Seto's touch had almost taken his breath away, and those brown eyes of his had glowed with a deepness he had never seen before. He had felt Ryou's pain when his moods had suddenly shifted, and his words had been involuntarily directed as spears towards Ryou. He had seemed to disregard Seto's unusual manner, though, and the way he had spoken in return proved so.

_Ryou, if you really knew what I was made of, you would know better then to try to get close to me._

Seto released a deep breath. He knew that if he did anything else to hurt another soul, whether it be accidental or provoked, he would not be able to live with himself. Honestly, he was surprised that his younger brother Mokuba was still by his side, after all the abuse he had suffered in silence. Yes, Mokuba had the same untainted love that he had sensed in Ryou, and it made him all the more drawn to know him intimately.

Nevertheless, he held onto the hope that perhaps a relationship to some degree would blossom between them, and that was enough for the time being.

Little did he know he wasn't going to be the only one with a battle to fight, for brewing within Ryou's body was something with the potential to kill; it was a time bomb, patiently waiting for the right moment to detonate.

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	6. Halloween 1of2

This chapter was supposed to be quite a bit longer, but I decided to cut it into two separate parts. That means the ending of this chapter is **not** **the end of the night.**

I will be posting part two (chapter six) within the next five days.....hopefully.

No, Halloween night isn't over yet :)

(Yes, I know I hint in this chapter about a Joey/Ryou pairing. Yes, this is a story about Ryou/Seto. Yes, it will make sense once I post the next few chapters )

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_Chapter Five_

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A fortnight came to pass, and the harvest moon quickly took its rightful place in the hazy evening sky. The shimmering nighttime stars were soon blotted out by the autumn mist that coated the heavens and danced in the chill of the moonlight.

Ryou leaned back in his chair and sighed, quietly observing the still beauty of the night from his living room window. Earlier that day, he had watched children dart all across his neighborhood, eagerly collecting wrapped sweets and dressed as witches, ghouls, and other things too frightful for Ryou to care to recall. Never before had he seen Michael so happy to distribute such a large number of goodies to little hands, which were already gooey from the treasures received at the previous homes. Ryou had been observing from a distance, taken aback at the graphic and dark nature of the costumes that some of the children had been wearing. After a few minutes, he had found himself not able to watch anymore, unwilling to risk the chance of such vile things triggering a nightmare, and had wandered around the house. Eventually, his moseying had led him to a spot in front of a window, and he had been sitting there for nearly an hour already. He had spent the time deep in thought, fading in and out between the captivating elegance in the white glow of the moon and the happenings of his day.

_I wonder how those parents can allow their son or daughter to walk around wearing such terrible articles of clothing. _Ryou speculated, staring out at the black silhouette of a group of trees whose branches were half bare. Their leaves had fallen off in clusters over the past several weeks, leaving individual ones to defend themselves against the fall winds. Each leaf casted its own horrid shadow onto the sidewalk, seeming to spread its sinister body across the cement and causing Ryou to feel a bit uneasy. In the delicate evening light, he could only see the dark outline of the nearby apartments, each one probably adorned to varying degrees with spooky plastic and cloth things. He had never been fond of Halloween, and each year the decorations and outfits that he saw appeared to be gradually becoming more drawn directly from the gates of Hell itself.

"Ryou!" Michael called from the kitchen. "Aren't you supposed to go to that Halloween party at school tonight with Joey?"

Ryou blinked, having nearly forgotten about the costume event he had reluctantly agreed to go to. "Yes, that's tonight. He said he was coming around seven o'clock to get me."

"Then you better put your costume on, because it's six fifty now." Michael replied.

Ryou glanced over at the small clock adhered to the wall and saw he was right. Getting up from his seat, he strolled into the kitchen, where he found Michael in the middle of a white flour mess. Ryou looked around, noticing other baking ingredients strewn about.

"What are you doing?"

"Baking some cookies. If you didn't have a prior engagement, I would have asked you to help me." Michael responded, grabbing a metal spoon and churning his bowl with it.

For a few moments, Ryou silently watched Michael.

"What should I go as, though? I don't have much in the way of Halloween attire."

Michael spooned a fully mixed helping of cookie dough onto a metal sheet, carefully scraping each bit off. "Well, what about your costume from a few years back? Don't you still have that?"

"Yes, I've still got it in my closet. You think that would suit the event?"

Michael placed the last bit of dough on his tray and motioned for Ryou to open the oven door. Cautiously, he placed it inside, reluctant to accidentally give his son a burn.

"Of course it'll suit the even, Ryou. It's a costume, after all."

Ryou closed the oven and looked down at the floor, his feet shifting tensely.

"You don't think anyone will make fun of me, do you?"

Michael chuckled softly. "Why would they? It's a costume party, for God's sake. Kids wear whatever they feel like to those kinds of things. Besides, from the bits and pieces I've heard about that Joey guy, he wouldn't allow anyone to bother you."

Lifting his head back up, Ryou caught a glimpse of Michael, who was smiling broadly.

"Seto Kaiba is going to be there, isn't he?" Michael asked, hoping to brighten his son's mood.

Ryou blushed slightly and grinned halfway. "I doubt it. He's not the social event type."

"Neither are you, but you're still going." Michael said, leaning over to set a timer.

Sighing, Ryou took a step back and headed towards the stairs. Within seconds he had reached the top and was inside his bedroom.

- - -

Precisely at seven, the doorbell chimed.

Michael smirked and set his tray of baked cookies down. Sauntering into the front hall, he opened the door with his mitted hand.

Standing at the entry way was Joey, dressed head to toe in a Country western getup. He tipped his cowboy hat at Michael and tapped the plastic rifle attached to his belt.

"Good evening, partner." He said suavely.

"You must be Joey." Michael said in a pleasant tone. "Come on in."

As Michael watched Joey come inside, he couldn't help but let the smile on his face continue to grow. The costume that he was wearing looked so authentic that, for a split second, he thought perhaps Joey had been abducted from the old West.

Closing the door, Michael turned again to face him. "I'm Ryou's father, Michael." He stated, holding out his hand for Joey to shake.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." Joey responded, an amiable grin etched onto his face.

- - -

Upstairs in his bathroom, Ryou stood in front of his mirror, softly putting some pink powder on his cheekbones. He then set his cosmetic pad down and took a step back, admiring his reflection.

"I guess I look pretty smashing." He mumbled to himself, gently adjusting the halo affixed to his hair. "I wonder if Joey's arrived yet."

- - -

Downstairs, Joey and Michael still stood in the hallway, waiting patiently for Ryou.

"Did you have a pleasant trip here?" Michael asked, yanking his oven mitts off.

"Yeah, it was a bit cold, but the walk here was alright."

Michael paused. "You walked here?"

Joey nodded.

"And your parents let you?"

Joey shifted his stance and rested his hand on the handle of his plastic weapon. "Yeah, but it's not that far from my house, so it was fine."

"I don't think I feel safe letting you and Ryou walk to the party…" Michael began, twisting the mitts in his hands.

"You don't need to worry. It's not even seven o'clock yet. The freaky Halloween crowd doesn't come out until after hours."

Michael glanced up at Joey, whose smile was beaming with naivety. He returned the expression with an uncomfortable smile of his own.

- - -

Ryou stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, unsure whether or not he felt ready to be seen. Upon hearing Joey's voice, he began his descent down the stairs.

- - -

"You sure know how to ease a father's concern, Joey." Michael said sarcastically.

Joey laughed at Michael's comment, and almost didn't hear the light footsteps coming his way. After his amusement subsided, he turned his head.

Halfway down the stairs, he spotted Ryou, dressed as a flawless angel, and his eyes became transfixed. His face was radiantly alluring, the soft pink of his cheeks contouring his fine bone structure and quietly complementing the overall porcelain tone of his skin. The white robe he wore seemed to glow with a heavenly light from above, and his feathered wings appeared to be grinning mercifully down at the awestruck cowboy.

_Oh my God! _Joey thought, drinking in Ryou's every movement. _I never knew he could look that damn gorgeous!_

Michael gasped. "Ryou! You're an angel!" He cried in irony, an ecstatic look of delight stretching across his face.

Ryou smiled sheepishly and stood at the base of the stairs. "Thank you."

Chuckling, Michael added, "Seriously, son, you look wonderful."

Ryou nodded appreciatively and directed his attention to Joey. His eyes scanned the simple but authentic cowboy uniform that donned his friend's body, and he didn't even notice that Joey's concentration was locked on him.

Beaming, Ryou cocked his head to the side and looked into Joey's focused eyes. "That's a very nice outfit you've got on."

Joey averted his gaze from Ryou and tilted his hat forward, concealing a good portion of his face. "The same to you, partner." He stammered, blushing underneath his brim.

Michael could sense that something was silently occurring, but he brushed the idea out of his mind and glanced down at his son.

"See? There is nothing wrong with that costume." Michael held his open arms out and Ryou stepped forward, embracing his dad. As they shared a brief hug, Michael looked over at Joey, who was peeking out at them from underneath his hat.

"Shall we go then, Joey?" Ryou asked, letting go of Michael.

Joey shoved his cowboy hat back into place and shook his head up and down. "Sure thing. That okay with you, uh…Michael?"

Michael took a deep breath and nodded. "Go on ahead. It's only a three block trip from here, it's not that late, and you two are going to be together the whole way." He concluded, wondering if he was doing a safe thing.

Ryou made a face. "Are you sure we'll be okay?"

Michael straightened his son's halo and smirked. "Of course you will be. There's streetlights and cops on every corner at this time of year." He glanced at Joey again and said, "Be sure to bring him back at nine o' clock sharp."

"Yeah, I will, don't worry." Joey replied.

Michael stepped back and opened the door, Joey heading outside first. Ryou followed, waving back at his father before he shut the door behind them.

- - -

"Yipes! Your hands are _freezing_, Ryou!" Joey shrieked, his arm twitching back from Ryou's sudden cold clasp.

"Sorry, Joey." He replied, forcing himself to release his friend's arm. He shuddered as another group of otherworldly looking people sauntered past, sending him intimidating looks and gesturing inappropriately. Even though he was petrified of these wickedly dressed souls, he promised himself that he wouldn't grab onto Joey's arm again for comfort. He didn't want to make him angry.

_It's only another two blocks until we get to school. I'll be just fine._ Ryou told himself.

He squinted, spying a black figure stumbling across the street. Nudging Joey, he pointed towards the injured person. Joey stared at them for a moment, then shrugged. Ryou bit his lip and continued walking.

Suddenly, he felt a chilling breath on his neck. Turning around, he found himself face to face with the dark figure who had been limping not a few seconds ago. His face was shriveled and coated with gratuitous amounts of blood, mouth gaped open in a silent scream. The black and yellow squares in his mouth reeked of death and alcohol, & his eyes were bloodshot, gazing in two different directions.

Before Ryou could even react, a fist flew past his face.

"You get the hell away from him!" Joey screamed, sending the mangy street wanderer down with a thud.

At first, the person flailed around on the sidewalk, garbled sounds coming from his mouth. Then, suddenly, he ceased to move.

Ryou gaped at the battered man lying on the sidewalk. He was too stunned to do or say anything, and stood perfectly still, his hand covering his mouth.

"Fucking drunk." Joey muttered, fixing his crooked hat. "Homeless, too, from the looks of it. Probably got into a bar fight or somethin'."

Glancing back up at Ryou, he stepped closer to his trembling friend. He gently placed his hand on his shoulder and asked, "Hey, Ryou, you okay?"

Ryou forcefully nodded his head. "I think I'll be alright, Joey. I've dealt with much worse before." He lied, hoping he wouldn't think that Ryou was a total wuss.

They locked eyes, and Joey saw through Ryou's lie so easily it was as though he was transparent.

"You…positive?" Joey asked again.

Ryou nodded a second time. "Yes, I think I'll be fine once we get to school."

Joey paused, and stood in thought for a minute. "Ryou, you know, if you'd feel more comfortable at home tonight, I can take you back."

Part of Ryou wanted nothing more than to go back home, and part of him wanted to go to the party and have fun. Michael was right; he wasn't much of a social event person, and he wasn't very mature. He knew that if he went back home, he could miss out on a great night. At the same time, if he continued on to the festive event, he ran the risk of being frightened by other costumes or taunted for his softer look. Taking a deep breath of cool air, he decided that the dangers were outweighed by the positives, and he would not return home until the night was over.

"No, I will be okay. Let's just go to the party." He said, hoping he sounded confident enough to persuade Joey.

"If you say so," He replied, taking his hand off Ryou.

They wandered the next block in painful silence, Joey occasionally looking over at Ryou to be sure that he was indeed alright.

Wanting to lighten Ryou's feelings, he said, "Maybe I should have driven us there instead. Too bad I couldn't have, huh?"

Ryou glanced at Joey. "What do you mean?"

Joey giggled. "I don't have a car. Well, actually, I do, but right now it's no bigger than a breadbox."

"What? How on earth did that happen?"

"I…accidentally drove it into a tree. Freshman year."

Ryou's eyes doubled in size. "_What?!_" He exclaimed. "How did you manage that?"

Joey felt a sting in his chest, caused by old memories resurfacing in his mind. He tilted his head down and temporarily gazed at the sidewalk.

"I was driving…someone… to a place they needed to go."

"Oh my God…" Ryou replied. "Were you two badly hurt?"

An icy tear cut down Joey's cheek, and he shook his head in hopes that the wind would dry it up before Ryou could notice.

_Damn, Ryou…if only you knew how ironic your words were._

"No. Only I had been in the car, though. I had already taken the other person to where they needed to be."

"I'm sorry." Ryou said quietly.

"It's cool." Joey responded, containing his emotions.

Ryou looked up at the moon, no longer paying any mind to the passersby or to his own somewhat frightened state.

"May I ask who that person was?"

Joey froze, and Ryou stopped walking shortly thereafter. Staring worriedly at his unmoving friend, he added, "You don't have to tell me anything. I apologize for asking and making you uncomfortable."

Joey didn't move a muscle, and Ryou walked towards him. A mere foot away, he tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and fell right into Joey, his hands landing in the middle of his chest. He blinked in surprise, and leaned his head back to find his face a few inches from his friend's.

Ryou gulped uncomfortably, noticing one of his hands was touching bare skin.

"Sorry about this, Joey…" He stuttered, wanting to back off.

One more glance at his face, however, and Ryou found himself no longer having that desire. In the few moments that he lingered so close to Joey, he caught a glimpse of deep sorrow in his eyes, sorrow that felt like it would swallow him up in an instant. There was also a wet trail where a tear had escaped, and it troubled Ryou, making him wonder what was going on inside Joey's head.

"What's wrong?" Ryou inquired, praying his question wouldn't extract any anger.

The hot breath from Ryou's mouth swelled across his lonely chest like a fire. It had been an excruciatingly long time since anyone had been so close. For so long he had craved, desired, sheer intimacy, and it had been furiously burning a hole inside his heart. Maybe, he thought, Ryou could be…

…Damn it! Was he crazy? The very idea that a person as untouched as Ryou would ever have even the slightest of interest in a person as marred as him was utter blasphemy!

He mentally slapped himself for thinking such a thing, and forced himself to give Ryou a half smile. "Old memories of the accident is all."

Not entirely convinced but willing to accept Joey's answer, Ryou stepped back. "I understand."

Joey wiped his sleeve across his cheek, destroying the wet residue from his tear.

"You still up to going to the party?"

Ryou nodded, a genuine smile appearing on his handsome face.

Together, they resumed their walk, both boys quietly wondering what the other was really contemplating.

- - - - - -

Seto heard a click on the other end of the phone line.

"You have reached the psychiatric office of Dr. Nicolai Teleshov. The doctor is currently with a patient, and can not come to the phone at this time. Please leave him a message or try your call again later. If you are in desperate need of medical attention, do not hesitate to dial 911. Thank you."

_Fuck!_ He slammed the phone down and shoved his chair back, leaping to his feet.

_Psychologists are always so damn busy on Halloween. With all those cultic clowns and demon-possessed eccentrics rolling in and out of his office like scattered marbles, I don't stand a chance at talking to him tonight._

He gripped the coffee pot handle hard and forcefully yanked it up, pouring the steaming beverage into his mug. The bitter aroma soothed his frustrations to the point of where he could sensibly think, and he raised the edge of the cup to his lips.

_Not even the great Seto Kaiba can interrupt his psychologist's sessions._

Savoring the robust flavor, he downed the liquid melodramatically, dropping his empty mug back on the table.

_No problem. I don't necessarily need to talk to him right now, anyways. It was only a question, and it isn't a pressing one._

Seto leaned against a filing cabinet, resting his elbow on the top and placing his face against his hand. He stood there with his eyes closed, trying to relax without drifting into a stupor.

_Thank God for caffeine…_

'Seto! Caffeine is an addictive drug! Please don't go down that road again, big brother!' He could just imagine Mokuba pleading, his little eyes bursting with fear.

_You worry too much, Mokuba._ He would respond. _I'm very careful to watch how much I consume._

'Yes, but…Seto! Promise me you won't ever get attached to another drug, or ever go back to cocaine! Promise me!'

_Yes…yes…I promise. God, the last thing I would want to relive is the duo drug incident._

He opened his eyes, glancing over at his clock. According to its luminescent hands, it was half past seven. Right on time for his next dose of prescribed stabilizers.

Pulling his desk drawer open, he found his opaque bottle and flipped the cap off, dumping three pills into his palm.

_White, beautiful, indispensable. Just like Ryou._

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	7. Halloween and after 2of2

Here is the conclusion to Halloween night, and it also goes on from there a bit.

Well...I have to tell you, this chapter is...different! You can decide for yourself whether you like it or not.

Also, be aware that in the next chapter there will be more physical romance happening.

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_Chapter Six_

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A waft of pungent air drifted by Michael's nose, drawing his focus away from his newspaper.

_What's that god awful smell? _He thought, folding his paper and placing it on the empty chair next to him.

_It almost smells like…something's…burning!_

Leaping out of his seat, he dashed into the kitchen and was nearly blown back by the heavy stench of charred cookies.

"Oh…great!" He snatched up a pair of hot pads and quickly yanked open the oven door, a gust of smoke pounding into his nostrils.

"Shit!" Snatching up the metal tray, he rushed it over to the sink and turned on the cool water. It made a hissing sound as it washed onto the blackened cookies, sending up a new cloud of white steam.

"I hope the fire alarm doesn't go off!" He left the water running as he darted around the entire first floor, rapidly whipping each window open and flailing his hands about, in hopes that the smoke would diffuse and not set off the sprinklers.

He stood in an uncomfortable, embarrassed silence for a few seconds, silently gnawing on his nails and praying to every god he could think of that the fire extinguishing system had not been provoked.

Glancing up at the ceiling, he saw the alarm had not been triggered. He had caught his baking fiasco just in the nick of time.

His heart was thumping in his chest as he fell backwards into the wall and slid down to the floor, firmly clutching his hands together.

"That was too close…" He muttered, forcing himself to breathe deeply in an attempt to relax.

_Next time I want to make cookies…I'll have Ryou do it._

"Thanks again, Joey. I had a splendid time tonight. See you Monday morning!" Michael's head jerked at the sound of Ryou's voice. He heard footsteps approaching the front door, and he jumped to his feet.

Faster them Michael had expected, Ryou appeared in the hallway, an enormous grin plastered across his angelic face.

"Michael! Tonight was heaps of fun! There was this large, metal tub filled to the brim with cold water and apples, and the kids would try to snatch one up by only using their teeth. It was quite a sight! And-" He paused, his nose wrinkling.

"Why does it smell like scorched cookies in here?"

Michael wore a guilty grin. "I…was reading the newspaper and…completely forgot about my last pan of cookies."

"You were baking the _whole_ time I was gone?"

"Yes, well, the soup kitchen in town is having a little festive dinner for the poor tomorrow, and I volunteered to make several dozen sweets for it."

"I didn't know about that. How come you didn't tell me, then? I would have stayed here and helped you make some food, too."

"Which is exactly why I didn't inform you." Michael replied. "I wanted you to get out of the house and go have some light fun for a change, not be cooped up inside doing charity work with me."

Ryou sighed and looked into the kitchen, spying the metal tray in the sink heavily doused with the still-on tap water.

"Um…were those supposed to be…?" He asked, pointing at the steaming black spheres.

Michael nodded slowly, following Ryou into the kitchen. They stopped in front of the sink, and Ryou pushed the handle down, ceasing the water's flow.

"You really needed my help tonight, Michael." He said, wearing another smile.

Michael chuckled. "Enough about my lack of baking talents. What were you saying about your night?"

Ryou paused, turning slightly to face his father. "Like I said before, there was a big tub filled with apples and water, and several kids made a game out of fishing them out with only their teeth." Ryou's eyes shimmered as he continued, "There was also a lot of music and food, and a bit of dancing as well. Though, I didn't partake in that."

Michael leaned against the counter, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"No…costume problems I take it?"

Ryou shook his head. "Not really. One guy did make some fun out of me, but Joey…how did he put it…knocked some sense into him!"

Ryou's comment drew another laugh out of Michael. "I knew he wouldn't let anyone bother you."

"No, he sure didn't." Ryou replied, recollecting the earlier incident with the homeless drunk that had wandered over to him.

_Joey really does seem to care about me…_ Ryou thought, turning his face away from Michael.

"Seto wasn't there, just as I expected." Ryou murmured through a breath.

"You'll get to see him on Monday." Michael replied, starting to walk out of the room. Turning around, he said, "Speaking of which, I'm surprised that all you and him have left to do regarding your science project is the actual experiment."

Ryou cringed, knowing they hadn't actually done any of the work on their project. Although it bothered Ryou that Seto simply paid off a professor he knew to create their perfect project, he had kept his mouth shut. He didn't want Seto to think he was a pushover.

"Yes…I'm surprised as well." He glanced over at Michael, who was standing in the doorway. "However, Seto Kaiba's a hard worker!" He exclaimed, the partial lie escaping his lips.

Michael shrugged. "To be expected. After all, he is a CEO." He lifted his hand to his face and rubbed his chin. Furrowing his brow, he continued, "How did he get that high up so fast, anyhow? He's just a kid, not even out of high school. Unless…did he inherit the position from someone in his family?"

"You could say that." Ryou said softly.

"No matter, I'm glad to see that he's still interested in finishing school. He's not just another heir that only cares about getting a fat paycheck and buying all the latest toys."

Ryou fidgeted with the sleeves of his robe, not sure how to respond.

Michael saw that the oven door was still open and he shut it. Turning off the entire appliance, he silently cursed himself for leaving it on all this time and risking another type of accident.

"Ryou, would you mind helping me clean up this mess and put away the good cookies? I'd greatly appreciate it."

"Sure, I'd love to." Ryou said, grabbing a spatula. He began to pry the burnt batch off the tray, each scrape creating a small metallic squeal.

"Are you going to let me go over to Kaiba Corp again Monday after school?"

Michael bit his lip as he sorted the remaining cookies into separate tupperwares.

"As far as you told me, this last time went alright. I didn't spy any signs of abuse on you or anything…"

"Michael!" Ryou cried, laughing in between breaths.

"Yes, you can go over there again. Just be home around dinnertime."

Ryou rolled his eyes and smiled at the ceiling. "Of course."

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"Get your late ass upstairs right now, Joey!" A scream erupted from down the hall. Joey flinched and shut the door behind him, cautiously leaning against it.

_Oh no…dad's drunk again_. _Maybe if I just sneak up the stairs right now he'll just forget that I wasn't home exactly at nine…_

Joey began to creep up the narrow staircase, making sure that his steps were as soft as they could be. His efforts were in vain, however, and moments later his father stormed down the hallway, a bottle of beer in each hand.

"You were supposed to be home at _nine_ o' clock _sharp!_" He boasted, taking another swig of alcohol.

Joey froze in his place. "I'm…sorry." He whispered hoarsely, each word sticking in his dry mouth.

His dad took a thunderous step forward. "You're _sorry_, did you say?" His head snapped back and a sickeningly malevolent laugh boomed throughout the little house, pelting a blast of fear into Joey's heart.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, you worthless piece of shit." Joey could feel his father's eyes piercing into his back like the broken pieces of glass that were soon to follow his daily outburst of rage.

"Now, when I say be home at nine, I don't expect you home at seven _after_ nine. I want your ass upstairs and home **exactly at nine**."

Joey bit down on his tongue, painfully growing used to this atrocious ritual. "Yes, sir." He choked out.

"I want you upstairs and out of my sight right this instant." He muttered through another mouthful of beer.

Instantly, Joey leaped to his feet and began to run up the stairs. A loud crash and the stinging pain of several chards of glass stabbed into his back, causing him to shriek in agony and collapse at the top of the stairwell.

"Let that be a lesson to you, don't be late **again.**" He shouted at his son, who was lying facedown. "Clean that broken bottle up before you go to bed." He snapped, plodding back downstairs and into the hall from which he had come.

"Yes…sir." Joey managed to say, his cheeks drenched in tears.

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_Three weeks later_

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"So tell me, Mister Kaiba, what is it that you have come to discuss today?" A voice with a Russian accent asked.

Seto shifted in the black leather seat, glancing up at Dr. Teleshov. He folded his hands and placed them in his lap. "For starters, some changes must be made. I want you to be my personal psychologist."

Dr. Teleshov clicked his pen and set it on top of his notebook, scribbling down some unknown words. "I already am your psychologist, if I am not mistaken."

Seto shook his head. "Then forgive me for not being perfectly clear. I want you to be _only_ _my_ psychologist."

Dr. Teleshov stopped writing and looked up at Seto, whose expression was utterly serious. "You are asking me to get rid of all my other patients and only treat you?"

Seto nodded.

Dr. Teleshov was relatively stunned at Seto's proposition. "Why do you ask such a bold thing?"

Seto crossed his legs. "I want you to be fully available to me whenever and wherever I need you to be."

"Are you forgetting that I have many other people that are under my counseling services as well?"

Seto shook his head. "You won't have to worry about your services, Doctor. I am willing to pay you three times whatever your current salary is, without hesitation, if your make your medical persona exclusively mine."

Dr. Teleshov released a deep breath and tapped his pen on his book. "No, no, no. I cannot do that. There are too many people who rely on me to treat their needs."

Seto was growing rather annoyed. "Consider this our last session." He said, standing up and heading towards the door. "Do you know how easy it will be for me to find another psychologist, one that will be _more_ then ecstatic to work only for me? You were foolish to reject my generous offer."

"The feeling is mutual, Mister Kaiba. I find your bribe of money and threat of leaving my practice in search of another to be entirely foolish."

Seto froze, and the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. "What the hell did you just say?"

Dr. Teleshov cleared his throat and stood up, walking over to his file cabinet. "Let me just take a peek at your past record and see…oh, yes. Just what I thought." He paged through Seto's personal file, glancing over the history that was typed out inside. "Before you came to me, you went to eighteen previous psychologists; all were unable to give you any help whatsoever."

Seto turned back around and watched his file be set down on Dr. Teleshov's desk. "That would mean that I am the nineteenth psychologist that you have tried within the past year. Not a very good statistic, on your behalf."

Seto narrowed his gaze. "They were all idiots who had no clue what they were doing."

"I beg to differ, Mister Kaiba." He replied. "I personally know five of the names that were on your list, and they all graduated from Ivy League psychology courses with top honors."

"They must have paid their way to the top, because they didn't know shit." He retorted, about ready to storm out of the office.

A wry smile crept across Dr. Teleshov's face. "Again, you are mistaken. They were not stupid. You are simply too complex of a case for them to have been able to help."

Seto crossed his arms, the blood under his skin beginning to boil. "Why are you so confident in yourself? What gives you the guts to test my patience?"

"The answer is simple: I am the only person who _can_ give you the medicine and counsel that you need. You are a very sharp boy, Mister Kaiba, and since I know that, I also know you have realized that the circumstances are such. You are not going to leave my practice for the very reason that you can not. Nobody else has my expertise, my decades of practice, and my unending determination to fully provide everything that my patients need. Therefore, you might as well sit back down. Today's session still has one more hour."

Seto gritted his teeth, because he knew every word that Dr. Teleshov had spoken had been the bitter, raw truth. Somewhat reluctantly, he trotted back to the chair and plopped down, refolding his arms and releasing a heavy sigh.

Dr. Teleshov slowly walked over to his own chair and seated himself, taking his pen from his pocket and reopening his notebook.

"Very well, then. We arrive back at square one."

Seto rolled his eyes and glared down at the floor.

"Since you are not very eager to talk, let me open the grounds for discussion by asking you some questions. First off, have you been taking the prescribed amount of Lithium at regular intervals throughout each day?"

"Yes. Two pills in the morning, and three pills in the evening." He replied through his tense jaw.

"Do you still feel that your emotions are less sporadic and under your control?"

Seto shook his head up and down, eyes still averted.

Dr. Teleshov paused to write some notes. "Tell me what has been happening in your life within these past several weeks."

Seto reminded himself that this man was here to help, and if he wanted the best, most complete results, he would have to give the most detailed answers that he could possibly come up with.

"School has been going for over two months now."

"What grade are you now in?"

"I'm a sophomore."

Dr. Teleshov nodded and rapidly made some more notes. "From the social aspect, how has this year been going for you?"

"Joey still hates me."

"Anyone besides Joey and the school's teachers that you have interacted with?"

"One new boy. A transfer."

Dr. Teleshov raised an eyebrow. "A new boy? What is he like?"

Seto's mind was showered with thoughts of Ryou, causing him to smile. "He's _flawless_." He responded. "He is self-assured, sensitive, genuine, and is reluctant to give up."

A look of concern spread across Dr. Teleshov. "When you say he is flawless, are you talking about his inner character or his external features?"

Seto chuckled and rested his arm on the chair's side. "Both, really. His personality is so whole and attractive, just his presence is enough to draw you in. Yet his body and face appear equally as desirable as his inner character is."

Dr. Teleshov glanced down at his notebook, then back up at Seto. "Mister Kaiba, are you interested in perhaps pursuing a romantic relationship with this boy?"

Seto could feel his cheeks warming, and he tried his best to mentally combat the reaction. "I don't want there to be a recurrence of what happened between Joey and I."

"You fail to answer the question, Mister Kaiba. Do you desire a romantic relationship with this nameless boy?"

Seto turned his head away. "As long as I am certain that my disorder is kept under full control, yes." His eyes fell onto his left arm, gazing through the white sleeve and remembering the small self-inflicted scar that lied just beneath the fabric. "I would love to have a relationship with Ryou."

"Ah. So this boy's name is Ryou, then." Dr. Teleshov grinned and wrote some more. "Do you know if he has same-sex attractions as well?"

"Not for sure, but I have a hunch that he does." Seto said.

"How strong is this 'hunch' ?"

"Almost one hundred percent."

"That is a very strong hunch, indeed." Dr. Teleshov closed his notebook once more and got up, heading over to his desk. He took Seto's file again and opened it, scanning through some pages and nodding his head.

"Your behavior has been normal for the most part, your vital organs functioning as expected with the increased Lithium, and from tallying the confessions made at past sessions, I have made a fairly shocking discovery about your personality."

Seto stared at Dr. Teleshov, waiting for him to continue.

He smiled at Seto's mildly pink face. "You are what we call…a hopeless romantic. In denial, for the most part."

Seto scoffed. "What makes you say that?"

Dr. Teleshov observed as Seto's face become increasingly red, and for several minutes neither of them spoke.

"It is as plain to me as is the crimson on your cheeks." He replied, shutting the file and pushing it to the corner of his desk. "Since you are so worried about your moods negatively effecting your relationship, I think it will be very good for me to let you become aware that under this new dosage, your disorder is as good as gone."

Seto's eyes lit up. "You think I can safely pursue a romance?"

Dr. Teleshov nodded. "Yes, I am most certain that you can. If you so desire, anyway."

Seto stood up and walked over to Dr. Teleshov's desk, staring directly into his grey eyes. For several moments he stood there, frozen in contentment, before he responded, "Thank you." A sincere smile formed on his typically solemn face, and it startled Dr. Teleshov.

"You are most welcome, Mister Kaiba."

Seto's expression faded, and he took a step back. "I will see you at our next session, then." He said over his shoulder.

Dr. Teleshov waited until he heard his door close before he sat down again.

_He is such a fascinating boy. It amazes me how he can so easily open up the deep recesses of his mind, pour out his very thoughts and passions, then clam back inside his shell like a tortoise. _

He looked down at the envelope of money Seto had left on his desk and he sighed.

_A tortoise that still has much to learn and a long way to go in order to reach his finish line._

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	8. Prisms

This chapter was amazing for me to write! I really tried my best to get into each character, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Please feel free to share any and all thoughts with me.

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_Chapter Seven_

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Ryou nervously chewed on his lower lip as his body was jerked forward, his hand keeping him on his feet by gripping the elevator's handrail tightly. The steel doors of the machine gracefully glided open, and he stepped out.

Glancing around the room, he noticed Seto's office was quite different from last time. In the center stood a large metal table, completely covered with open books, several opaque triangles, stray papers and pencils, and something that looked like a solar panel.

_Is this our project?_ Ryou wondered, briskly trotting across the all-too familiar floor. As he got closer, he could see other small tools and metal wires sticking out from underneath the panel. It sparked his curiosity, and he stretched his hand forward to touch it.

"Hello, Ryou." Seto said from behind, a fervent tone laced in his words.

Ryou's hand stopped in mid-air, and he turned slowly to face the voice. "Oh, hello Seto."

Even though he was standing at the far door of the room, there was a look of pure fascination that radiated from Seto's eyes, and it nearly sent erotic shivers of pleasure down Ryou's back. Never before had he known Seto to give the appearance of anything other than an emotionless void, and this sudden onset of passion struck him as unusual. Excluding the brief glance into Seto's soul their first night as Chemistry partners, this was the first time Ryou could recall seeing his human side.

Ryou took an involuntary step forward, mesmerized by the vibrant cerulean eyes. Their color was only pronounced by the streaks of early afternoon sunbeams that flowed into the spacious office through the many windows that made up the far wall. As the light hit them just so, he could have sworn he witnessed their energy burst to life, everything within them set ablaze by an unknown internal force.

He smiled gently, as did Seto, and a moment later they were standing only a foot apart.

"What do you think of our project thus far?" Seto asked, glancing down at Ryou's dazzled expression.

Ryou turned slightly, looking directly at yet right past their project. "Well, I don't really know what it is. I mean, three weeks ago, all that was in here were some wires, a book, and that science professor you hired. All I can remember is that you two were talking about doing something with sunlight."

Seto chuckled, and nodded his head in agreement. "Isn't it obvious? It's an experiment that will prove a solar panel will output different levels of power depending on the color and wavelength of the incoming light." He glanced at the table, his face now encrusted with a thin layer of conceit. "If you had been paying attention, you would have been able to tell me that."

Ryou blinked, his brain attempting to make full sense out of Seto's candid explanation. "Oh."

Brushing past Ryou, Seto walked to the table and picked up one of the clear triangles. Holding it in front of his face, he scrunched his eyes, closely examining its entire surface. "These prisms are the perfect size and depth to capture the right amount of light needed to prove our hypothesis." Using his other hand, he pointed to the closest window. "The early afternoon sunlight is in perfect correlation to the angle at which these three prisms will be rotated at."

Ryou hesitantly took a few steps forward, stopping short of Seto's side. He looked back down at the solar panel, and then over to the two remaining prisms on the table, his thoughts lost in comprehension. "How does it work, exactly?"

Seto grumbled, gently dropping the triangle. "It's simple. Each prism will be put into a different degree of direct sunlight, and the refracting colors will be absorbed by the solar panel. Then the energy produced by it will be transferred down through a series of metal wires to one of three different incandescent light bulbs. The warmer colors, such as scarlet or orange, will produce a stronger energy wave then their complementing cooler colors, like indigo or amethyst. We'll be able to see that in the amount of light given off by the bulbs."

"How come?" Ryou responded.

"Their wavelengths are longer and more direct. That's why we have three different prisms to use, so we can prove our hypothesis to be accurate."

Although he had been listening intently, Ryou didn't completely understand Seto's advanced scientific explanation, nor was he sure what a prism was or what it could do.

"Do you get it now?" Seto asked.

Ryou gingerly picked up one of the prisms, his eyes scanning it briskly in search of what its function was. "Forgive me for asking, but what exactly does this do?"

Seto snorted. "Are you kidding me? The idea of a prism is elementary school knowledge."

The nonchalant response Seto had given stung Ryou's heart a little. "I've never actually seen one before, is all." He muttered, tilting his head down.

Seto's fingers forcefully rubbed his temples, and a low grunt escaped his sealed lips. "You hold it up to a beam of light and the entire color spectrum will be made visible to your naked eye."

With a prism cupped in his hands, Ryou took a few steps closer to the window and held it into the light. A soft rainbow glowed out of the opaque triangle, triggering a delighted cry from his orifice.

Seto smirked, and plodded over to Ryou's side. "You're like a kid going into a candy shop for the first time." He took a single step backward, standing adjacent to Ryou.

"The colors are captivating!" Ryou exclaimed, never before having seen a rainbow in this form.

Seto was tempted to inquire as to why this seemingly common knowledge was so foreign to him, but his thoughts were drawn into the delighted expression that had swept across Ryou's face like a firework, his two brown eyes exploding from the newfound discovery.

Seto gently placed his arms on top of Ryou's, his lean body merely inches behind him. He encased Ryou's hands with his own, catching him off guard.

"Seto!" Ryou cried at the unexpected movements.

As smoothly as he could, Seto thrust Ryou's body forward and into a more direct beam of sun, their hands still intertwined.

Using his hands as a guide, he redirected the prism that Ryou still held over and into a radiant streak of light, sending a powerful wave of colors across the whole room.

Ryou stood in silence, taken aback by the vitality of the rainbow stream and the unexpected closeness of Seto's body.

"See?" Seto whispered. "The stronger the light entering the prism, the stronger the color spectrum being refracted will be, therefore, more potential energy."

He pressed his cheek against Ryou's, the soft skin sending a chill of desire through his being.

"Ryou…" He breathed, the warm air tickling Ryou's skin. "Do you think I'm a complete bastard?"

In response, Ryou shook a little, Seto's body heat hitting his in all the right places. "I'm not entirely sure what to think of you. You're…" He paused as Seto's lips lightly dusted past the peak of his jaw line and wandered up to his earlobe.

"…unpredictable!" Ryou exclaimed, the sensation sending manic sparks of lustful thoughts into his brain.

"Sssh." Seto cooed, lifting a hand off Ryou's and placing it onto his chin, gently turning it towards him. He then removed his other hand and took the prism with it, the array of colors disappearing instantly. He tossed it onto the table nearby and put his hand at the nape of Ryou's neck, rubbing his fingers through the silky white hair.

Ryou opened his mouth to speak, but upon locking eyes with Seto, all words escaped him. For the first time in his life, his mind had gone blank, and his entire being was focused on the electric pulses stemming from this boy's long, lithe fingers.

Seto gazed down at Ryou's rose-colored lips, catching a glimpse of his pearly white teeth through his gaping mouth. His cheeks were flushed, and against his porcelain skin it closely resembled a fine China doll. His eyes had fully dilated, his rich brown irises swallowed up by their black pupils. Simply from the fresh glimmer in Ryou's eyes, he could tell this moment was priceless, and in this moment of time his emotions were raw and exposed. A single wrong word or action at this point could severe their unspoken bond, and deliver a powerful, unnecessary blow to their hearts.

Seto gracefully glided his fingers across Ryou's crimson cheek, drawing a small moan of excitement from him.

"Seto…what are you doing?" Ryou murmured.

A seductive smile spread on Seto's face, causing the already passionate thoughts in Ryou's head to grow twofold.

"Showing you that I'm not an ass all of the time." He responded, his expression still laced with the desire of a fervent youth.

"God, I haven't been this close to someone in so long; I nearly forgot what it was like." He whispered, continuing to stroke the back of Ryou's neck.

Then, almost instinctively, Seto leaned down and placed his lips on top of Ryou's, sealing their intimacy with a fiery kiss.

Much to his reluctance, Seto pulled off Ryou's lips and temporarily broke their quixotic moment.

"Ryou, I'm…" Seto paused, momentarily averting his eyes. "…I shouldn't be doing this." He concluded, breathing a heavy sigh.

Ryou was shuddering with pleasure from Seto's taste, and his body was wild with excitement. "Please." He replied, caressing Seto's cheek with his fingers.

Seto glanced up, his eyes relocking with Ryou's.

…_under this new dosage, your disorder is as good as gone. _Dr. Teleshov's words resounded in his mind, and the look of pure contentment plastered on Ryou's angelic face beckoned to Seto to throw off all worries and just let their nature take over.

Seto took a deep breath, reaching down to unbutton Ryou's shirt. He gasped, and grabbed Seto's hand.

"Not…not that fast!" Ryou spat out, his face becoming exceedingly red. "I'd like to stay pure for at least…at least until we've gone on a few dates!"

Seto stopped, releasing his shirt. "Sorry." He muttered.

Ryou straightened his collar. "As much as I would enjoy doing that right now, I'm more the old fashioned type." He smirked, revealing his perfect teeth once more. "You know…picnics in the park, a walk on a moonlight beach, stargazing…" Ryou paused, realizing how vulnerable he had made himself. He quickly shook his head, hoping the thoughts would somehow fling out.

_What am I saying? All Seto would want me for is…well, to play with. He's not the romantic type._ Ryou thought to himself, turning to face the window.

Seto grinned down at Ryou's pouting expression, noticing how furrowed his brow became when he was deep in thought.

"That could be arranged." He said, hoping his words sounded gentle enough for Ryou to believe.

He stretched his hand forward, grasping Ryou's arm. Upon contact, Ryou shrieked and jumped back, holding his arm close.

Seto was shocked, and stood motionless for a second. "You alright?"

Ryou tenderly touched his arm, wincing from his own contact. "I don't know." Slowly, he rolled up his sleeve, finding a black bruise the size of a golf ball nestled near the elbow of his arm.

"How the hell did you get that?' Seto asked, wide-eyed.

The color drained from Ryou's face, and he swallowed hard. "I'm…I don't remember getting a bruise…"

"Are you being abused at home?"

"No!" Ryou responded instantly. "Maybe I just banged my arm on a door and can't remember it right now."

_Or maybe…maybe it's something else… _He worried, biting his lip.

"Your bruise is black. Whether you hit something or something hit you, it completely destroyed the blood vessels under your skin." Seto replied. "If it doesn't look any better within a few days, you should get yourself to a hospital."

Ryou gazed at Seto, stunned to hear a genuine-sounding concern come out of his mouth. "I'll be fine. Really, it's nothing major."

A loud ring reverberated through the room, splitting any mood in two. Seto made a fist, and trudged over to his phone.

"What is it?" He sneered into the receiver.

"Pardon me for interrupting, Mister Kaiba, but-"

"This had better be pretty fucking important. I told you that I was going to be busy all day today, and now you call and disrupt me!"

"Yes, yes, it is. The professor that you hired had to make an emergency flight home and won't be able to make it back in time to finish-"

Seto slammed his hand down into his desk, the sudden boom causing Ryou to jump.

_Damn it! I paid that bastard in advance!_ Seto thought, his mind seething.

"…Mister Kaiba?" The voice questioned.

"Forget it. I'll take care of things personally." Seto retorted, chucking the phone down.

His tense fingers scraped past his temples again, attempting to rearrange the thoughts that had accumulated over the past several minutes.

"What's wrong?" Ryou asked, standing behind him.

Seto jerked around, his body nearly smacking into Ryou's. "The science bastard I hired _had_ to fly home." A bitter groan erupted from his chest.

Ryou gazed into Seto's glossy eyes, sensing his frustrations. "Did he say why? What does that mean for us?"

"No, and I'll have to finish the project myself." He grumbled.

Ryou looked at Seto, silently wishing he knew what to say to appease his nerves. Seto forced an irritated smile. "At least he left all the parts here. That'll make my job a lot easier."

"Can I help you any?" Ryou asked, tenderly touching Seto's fist.

Seto shook his head, and relaxed his harsh grip. He intertwined his fingers with Ryou's and breathed deeply. "That isn't necessary. There isn't very much left do, and it'll be easiest if I'm just left alone to complete it."

Ryou nodded. "Okay."

Seto grimaced. "I'm going to give him a call right now and find out what was so damn urgent."

Ryou took a step back, gently tugging his fingers free from Seto's grip. "I'll let you do that, then."

Seto's head snapped up. "You don't have to leave, Ryou."

Ryou shook his head. "No, I should. Michael might get upset if I'm not home by a certain time."

Seto sighed, "It's only the afternoon. Why would he want you back so early?"

Ryou redirected his gaze to the window, the vibrancy of the sunbeams causing him to squint. "Saturdays are the only time that we get to spend an entire day with each other. All week long I'm in school, and on Sundays he spends his day either resting up for the upcoming work week, grading papers, or volunteering in a soup kitchen."

The room went silent for a moment. "You're very fortunate to be so close, then." Seto muttered.

Ryou smiled, turning to face Seto. "Thank you for letting me come back here again, and for patiently explaining to me what our project is and all."

Seto laughed. "My pleasure." He replied, giving Ryou's forehead a gentle kiss.

Ryou soaked up the final gesture of emotion, and basked in his ecstasy for a precious second of time before taking one more glance into the enchanting eyes of his partner and drifting down the elevator on the wings of reality.

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"I'm terribly sorry for having to leave you and your project on such short notice, Mister Kaiba, but I just had to get home."

Seto released a heavy breath, his fingers entangled around a lock of his hair.

"Just what was so exceedingly important that you found it necessary to leave near the end of your pre-paid duty and go all the way back to your home?"

The professor sighed into the phone, and replied, "My wife has cancer, Mister Kaiba. Her nurse called me and said that she was in her final days here on earth."

Seto froze, not having expected to hear such a dismal reason for his sudden departure.

"She…she died just last night, actually." He finished, his voice cracking a bit.

"I'm…sorry for your loss." Seto said dryly, unable to comprehend what the professor on the other end of the line must be thinking.

"No need to say anything, Mister Kaiba."

There was a brief window of time where the only sounds made on the phone were soft sniffles and the occasional stressful cough. Seto released his hair and glanced out his window, spying the evening moon peeking out from beneath a blanket of fog.

"Mister Kaiba, if it will ease your dissatisfaction, I can get on an early flight tomorrow and come back to complete the project."

"No. You don't need to. I can handle the rest, thanks." Seto responded quietly, pressing the red off button on his cell and tossing it to the side of his desk.

He stood up and wandered over to the window, losing his psyche in the captivating tranquility of the autumn night.

Here he stood at the end of each day, to collect his thoughts and focus on the imminent danger that the next day would bring, yet this one was vastly different. A typical one for him would begin with a cup of coffee and conclude with a bottle of Lithium, his emotions tottering between the veracity of the current moments and the horrible fear of what nightmares his mind could ruminate. Hardly ever did a day come to pass that brought any genuinely real news or stir any sensation within his soul, but somewhere within the dark recesses of his mortal self, something had clicked.

Although Seto wasn't sure what specific change had been initiated in him, he knew that in this heartless world, things never happened without prompting some sort of alteration to the current reality, whether it be within the neighboring communities or in a country on the far side of the ocean.

_The innocent fluttering of a butterfly's wings can trigger a typhoon halfway across the globe._

Though somewhat archaic, the chaos theory had been a source of comfort for Seto's hardened exterior. He found it to be a steady wall of sanity he could lean against when his life was in distress, and it was a dark promise of sorts to him.

In stark contrast to these dark promises and grey clouds that had clung to his life like a bloodsucking leech, Ryou's sheer presence brought a new light into his corner of the world. Something about him was different, made him stand out like a beacon on a rugged seacoast, made Seto feel magnetically drawn to him. Unlike most situations where the only emotions exchanged between Seto and the other person had been ones of spite and acrimony, Ryou drew out his romantic side, somehow finding a way past every verbal barricade he spewed out and nestling into his secret tender spot.

The corner of Seto's lips curved up, plastering his moonlit face with a knowing grin.

_God, Ryou, you're going to turn me into one of those softies. _He thought, watching the fog thicken and the darkness surrounding him intensify.

The digital clock on the wall began it's melodious quarterly chime, it's steady rhythm connecting to his memory and reminding him he was due for another dose of stabilizers.

With a new beat in his heart and an unfamiliar feeling in his gut, he turned away from his window and sauntered over to his desk, the still atmosphere engulfing his form as he swept up his three white pills and left his office, disappearing into the evening haze.

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	9. Rising actions

Between Thanksgiving, my birthday, last minute school projects, and getting ready for Christmas, it ended up taking me a painfully long time to complete this chapter.

However, I hope you all aren't too mad at me, and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

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_Chapter Eight_

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A single snowflake drifted down from the hazy grey sky that hung above, placing a frozen kiss on the tip of Ryou's nose as its icy body melted against the heat of his flesh. He twitched, and vigorously rubbed his gloved hand against the freshly melted fleck of winter, attempting to rid his skin of its bitter sting.

"Achoo!" Ryou sneezed into the air. He sniffled and grabbed the knob on his front door, finding it unlocked and entering briskly to get out of the cold.

"Michael?" Ryou called, hearing his own voice resonate in the silence of the empty room.

_Huh, that's odd. Wonder where he could be. _Ryou thought, dropping his bag onto the kitchen table. He wandered through the first few rooms in the apartment, finding each one to be empty. Upon entering the living room, however, he discovered Michael's body passed out on the couch, his shirt and tie disheveled.

A slight smile grew on Ryou's face, and he gently shook his head.

"Looks like you had a rough day," he muttered quietly, reaching across the arm of the chair and grabbing a nearby blanket. As he was spreading it across Michael's sleeping form, his elbow bumped against the hard wooden end of the furniture and sent a flow of pain through his entire limb.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed, jerking his arm back.

_That…that mysterious bruise…_

Ryou cautiously rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and found his bruise to still be there, just as sordidly discolored as it had been before.

_Where on earth did I get it from? And why can't I remember?_

He stared down into its unsightly color for a few seconds before pulling his sleeve back down.

_Maybe…maybe I should get it looked at in a few days. If it doesn't look any less shocking, that is._

Ryou sighed, and headed back into the kitchen. Stopping in front of his bag, he unzipped it and removed a white wooden box. He tenderly set it down on the table, smirking to himself as he resealed his bag. Then, as lightly as he could, he picked up the box and proceeded to the stairway, climbing each one in a uniform fashion and steadily walking into his room.

Leaning against the back of the door, he felt it click shut behind him. He glanced down at the box in his hands, sensing a passionate heat brewing from within. He closed his eyes and rested the back of his head against the door, the energy transpiring from inside his box evoking his memory from an hour earlier.

-

_Ryou was seated in Seto's executive chair, inhaling the musky odor of the leather. He squirmed from side to side, adjusting himself to the size of the seat._

"_Enjoying yourself?" Seto asked, standing next to his chair and watching Ryou in utter amusement._

_Ryou grinned and folded his hands, placing them on his lap in a very professional position. He cleared his throat and replied, "Why yes, sir, I am having a splendid time here."_

_Seto chuckled in response, sitting himself down on the side of his desk. "Our project ended up to be perfect."_

_Ryou nodded. "I knew it was going to be."_

_Seto locked eyes with Ryou, and they shared a pleasant expression. A few seconds later, he shifted his eyes to a white wooden box resting in front of Ryou in the center of his desk. He pointed to it and said, "That's a gift for you, Ryou."_

_Ryou's eyes widened in dual emotions of surprise and glee. "Really? Oh, that wasn't necessary."_

_Seto raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't necessary? It's your birthday, Ryou. I had to get you something."_

_Ryou felt his cheeks grow warm, and he gingerly grabbed the box. "You didn't have to, Seto. But, thank you very much."_

_Seto shifted on the edge of his desk, his overall persona softening relatively fast. "I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what to get you, but I know how much you enjoy a certain something, so I played it safe and got you that."_

_Ryou fingered the lid of the box and looked up at Seto with genuine gratitude. "I'm certain I will, Seto. Besides, it's your thought that counts."_

_Seto observed Ryou's delicate fingers slowly remove the lid, and much to his relief he felt the heavy weight of daily stress rise off his chest the instant he saw Ryou's face flooded with happiness from his present._

"_Oh! How wonderful!" Ryou responded._

_Seto smiled. "It's something I knew you liked."_

_Still bearing a full-faced grin, Ryou reached inside the box and pulled out a perfectly formed crystal prism, the sunlight from outside catching its lustrous body just so and sending a plethora of rainbow streams throughout the office._

_He glanced at Seto, who motioned for him to bring it closer to the window. He obeyed and stood up, carrying the prism closer to the window and holding it up for the sunbeams to fully embrace._

_His mouth opened in silent contentment, the corners of his lips curving upward. "I love it, thank you."_

_Seto had followed Ryou over to the window and stood behind him, wrapping his hands around his body. He placed his chin on Ryou's shoulder and breathed softly into his ear, taking the time between breaths to inhale Ryou's sweet scent._

"_Just like last time," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on the nape of Ryou's neck._

_Ryou almost felt like purring, and in the sudden pleasure of the moment he nearly dropped his prism._

_Noticing Ryou's new state of being, Seto reached forward and took it from his hands, turning slightly and setting it back inside its box._

_Still enveloped in his arms, Ryou turned around and became face to face with Seto, his porcelain cheeks subtly tinted with a deep rose hue. Seto placed his fingers underneath Ryou's chin, slowly drawing him nearer._

"_Your skin is like silk, Ryou." Seto breathed, their lips not even an inch apart. _

_Ryou shivered in excitement, their close heat adding to the tense air of the moment and making him desire to be reminded of Seto's luxurious taste. He placed his hand on Seto's face, bringing him the rest of the way and sealing the minute gap that had been between them with a lusty kiss._

_-_

Fading back into the present time, Ryou exhaled slowly, his thoughts dreamily replaying the feeling of their second close encounter and momentarily reliving the passionate drive that had been shrouded in that brief meeting. As he gazed down at the same white box he now held in his hand, he wished that he could travel back one lone hour in time and simply bask in it for awhile, simply exist in the outskirts of Seto's shadow and occasionally share a warm kiss.

Although it had only been three months, with each passing day he found thoughts of Seto becoming ubiquitous in his mind. In fact, as he sat down on his bed, he imagined that instead of a coat on his body, Seto's strong arms were wrapped about his frame, holding him tightly and pulling him down onto the bed.

_Mmm…Seto…I know it was my birthday, but you didn't need to give me anything for it. Just having you nearby would have been enough._

Ryou lifted the top of the box off again, setting it on the nightstand nearby. He slid the prism out of its case again, holding it back in a stream of light and sending another stream of color out of its glossy body.

_All the same, I'm glad you did._

Ryou found the gentle flow of bright lights to be soothing, and he placed the prism on top of his relatively empty bedside table, deciding to let its main function serve as a form of relaxation.

-

"_What made you want to do a light experiment in the first place, Seto?" Ryou asked, placing a light kiss on Seto's lips._

"_I've always found the general idea behind a prism to be somewhat fascinating." Seto said, picking up Ryou's prism again and turning it with his hands. "The idea that something as ordinary as a beam of light can enter something as transparent as this and come out the other side as a flawless array of the color spectrum has always been fairly interesting to me."_

_Ryou nodded, placing his fingers on top of Seto's. "It is, but is that the only reason as to why you chose it?"_

_Seto raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Ryou. I know you're not completely stupid. Think about it for a second."_

_Ryou blinked, trying to think of what Seto expected him to say._

_Seto laughed quietly. "What does a rainbow generally signify? Excluding religious bullshit, however."_

_Ryou smirked in response. "Oh, you mean your same sex-attraction?"_

_Seto shook his head up and down, pulling Ryou into another fiery kiss._

"_Precisely."_

_-_

Ryou felt warm all over from the further remembrance, and he lay down on his bed, his eyes attracted to the fluorescent lights. Within several moments, he became hypnotized by the dancing colors. Before he could recall another beautiful instant, he dozed off into a tranquil sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In the darkest corner of a room, Joey found himself hiding, nervously awaiting for death to come in the form of his father's drunken rage. Through tear-laden eyes, he glanced down at his throbbing arm, using his hand to check it for damage. Sure enough, he found large sections heavily crusted with blood.

_Oh god…I sure as hell hope that was all for tonight…_

Regardless of how lightly his fingers stroked the damaged skin, it didn't resolve any of his pain, and fresh tears cascaded down his cheeks.

_Why does he have to do that? All mom and I ever did was love him…and then he turned on us. That asshole cheats on her, and they divorce because of it. _Joey thought, trying his best to wipe off what blood he could in the deep black of the room, but between the absence of light and the severity of pain he was in, his efforts were in vain.

_Then…hell…mom was supposed to take me to her house so I could live with her, but then she starts chain smoking and can't afford me._

Joey silently gritted his teeth, still putting forth tender effort to remove some of the dried blood.

_If she hadn't spent all her money on her goddamn addiction, then I could be free of that demon whom I'm forced to live with._

_Double fuck._

_Of course, then, thanks to the wonderful court systems, I end up in his loving care. However, instead of taking me in as his son, he takes me in as a pet, something that can be tossed and bossed around as desired. Hell, then he started drinking, and adopted a beer bottle as his child instead. Might as well have, that bastard, because he spent every waking moment holding one close and treating it better than he ever did me._

Joey leaned further against the wall behind him, the coolness of its paint temporarily calming his nerves.

_And so concludes each evening of the rest of my life up to this point, spending my time suffering from a recent drunk beating whilst my father lies in an alcoholic stupor somewhere in this god forsaken house._

He held back the urge to laugh.

_You would think that the authorities would care a little bit more about a kid who comes to school in pain everyday. Guess they've got bigger problems here in the great state of New York to be giving a damn about another punk with a beer lover for a father._

Joey curled up into the fetal position and used the fabric on his knee to dry his eyes.

_Well, at least my arm doesn't hurt as bad as my heart did on the night when Seto's own problems erupted to the surface._

As hard as Joey fought to forget his harrowing past, its taunting reminder was forever engraved on the skin of his thigh.

_Damn it, Seto. You too. What is it with people I love and addictions?_

Joey carefully straightened his legs and lay down on the cold, hardwood floor, positioning his good arm underneath his head to be his pillow. He shifted his stance so his injured appendage wouldn't touch the floor, and he grumbled to himself about how his perfectly normal bed was but a few rooms down. However, getting up and going to his room was a pleading for another injury, and that was the last thing that he desired.

Eventually his eyes drifted shut, and he found himself walking into a peaceful world of his own imagination.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Nothing more than a science project, yet I feel as though without it I would have never gotten the chance to really get to know Ryou like I have been…_

"Mister Kaiba, you are paying a great deal of money for my services. I feel it would be most beneficial if you were to pay attention during them."

Seto blinked, finding himself inside Dr. Teleshov's office. He glanced over and saw his doctor's typical unwearied expression plastered on his mildly aged face, and he quickly shifted his position.

Clearing his throat, he apologized. "I'm sorry, Doctor. I was lost in my own thoughts."

"Aren't we all." Dr. Teleshov replied, scribbling some notes down in his book. "So although your recent medical evaluation tells me that you have been taking your Lithium in proper doses at the opportune times, the law forces me to ask you the very question to which I just answered: have you been taking your stabilizers?"

Seto smirked. "If you know the answer to your own question, why ask it?"

"I repeat, it's the law, Mister Kaiba. In order to keep my license and my sense of honor, I must uphold it." He shot a testing glance at Seto, and finished, "Something that your tainted past proves you hold little value to."

Seto sneered and rolled his eyes. _Why the hell do I tolerate this guy's bullshit?_

Dr. Teleshov smiled at Seto's wordless reaction, and clicked his pen twice.

"You said last time that you and Ryou had just finished a science project. How did that end up?"

Seto took a deep breath. "It went…as good as it could have. Excluding the loss of my hired professor at the last moment due to a death in his family, of course."

"A death?"

Seto nodded slowly. "Yes, his wife died and he found it necessary to fly back home to…bury her, I guess."

Dr. Teleshov scribbled some notes on his pad. "Tell me, what did she die of?"

"Cancer." Seto said bluntly.

"I see, how tragic." He flipped to the next page. "Your experiment, what was it exactly?"

Seto sighed. "It was a light experiment. By using prisms and solar panels, we were able to prove that different colors and wavelengths of light would output different levels of power by harnessing solar energy and utilizing the power given off by the variations of color."

"Prisms, did you say?"

"Yes."

"Indeed." Dr. Teleshov murmured, tapping his pen against the blank page. "Did Ryou enjoy your experiment as well?"

Seto smirked and caressed his lips with the tips of his fingers. "Something leads me to believe that he did."

Dr. Teleshov returned Seto's gesture with an uncomfortable smile, and he redirected his gaze down to his notebook paper. "I see."

Seto's grin turned into a frown, and he asked, "Doctor, with all due respect, how come you were foolish enough to not accept or at least consider my offer of exclusive treatment? By using that money, you could have retired early, and only have had to work when I would have needed you."

Dr. Teleshov shook his head back and forth, his hand still steadily writing notes. Several seconds later, he clicked his pen and set it on top of his notebook. "Mister Kaiba, money is not the issue here. I do not care about money like you Americans do. I care about helping those in need and sharing my time with them." He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, maintaining enough balance to keep his book atop his lap. "You remind me of my son. He was always waking his money around like a flag, giving it away on a whim to get whatever he desired. No, money is _not_ the issue here. Time is."

Seto scoffed. "Time?"

"Yes. Time is the single most valuable thing in the world. It cannot be bought, sold, stopped, or controlled. We are all constantly living in this dimension where we are at the sheer mercy of it. Time is one of the few things in this universe that we shall never be able to govern." The corners of his furrowed brow eased up, and a pleasant smile etched itself into his face. "Whether or not you like it, Mister Kaiba, even _your_ life is ruled by time. There is nothing you can do about it."

Seto crossed his legs and exhaled a breath he didn't remember holding. "Are you going to give me some kind of lecture now?"

The smile on Dr. Teleshov's face maintained its appearance. "Time dictates everything. When we are born, when we die, when the spring blossoms open up, when the bitter cold of winter stretches her unforgiving arms across the Russian tundra…time is our ruler."

Seto raised an eyebrow, deciding to heed this opportunity to pry into his doctor's beliefs and thoughts for a change. "Wow, you're really big on this 'Omnipotent Time' theory. So I take it you don't believe in God?"

There was a brief second of still silence, but then Dr. Teleshov leaned forward. "Mister Kaiba, at least a thousand people starve to death every day. Another thousand die of easily curable diseases or polluted water. Now wouldn't it make sense for a God to reach his mighty hand down and prevent it all form happening?"

Seto remained silent, but nodded his head once.

"To properly answer your question, no. God is merely psychological candy for those people who need that extra sugar rush, and I doubt the existence of a God, or gods for that matter. As I stated previously, I strongly believe that time is the only thing that influences and regulates our lives. Time, in an essence, is our only 'higher power'."

After a moment of thought, Seto smirked. "Well what do you know, Doctor. On this idea we finally find some common ground."

Dr. Teleshov clicked his pen. "Any intelligent person would agree."

Seto found himself chuckling quietly. "I beg to differ. I know plenty of intellectuals who believe that there is a God of some sort who is in complete control."

"Then tell them to come talk to me." Dr. Teleshov replied. He reopened his notebook and shifted his pen between his fingers. "Mister Kaiba, do you know what I find most intriguing about you choosing to execute an experiment that utilized prisms?"

Seto held his eye contact. "Go on."

"For starters, the definition of a prism is 'any medium that resolves a seemingly simple matter into its elements'. Therefore, to a psychologist like myself, someone as complex as you directly choosing to use such an object hold great meaning."

"I'm not sure I follow you completely." Seto said, resting back against the bulk of the chair.

"You see, in your case, a prism is symbolic in a way. A prism could symbolize all the drastic problems that you have had to endure, whether they be by choice or by chance. When a simple, mundane beam of light, representing yourself, is placed through said trials, you gain the ability to see their true colors, hence the color spectrum.

Seto shook his head up and down in agreement, fully understanding the point his doctor was trying to make.

"There you have it, Mister Kaiba." He said, shutting his notebook and hooking the pen to the outside cover. "I'm afraid our session has timed out for today. I've got another patient coming in exactly two minutes, and he's always on time."

Feeling a bit annoyed at being told when he had to go but forcing himself to comply, Seto stood up and said, "Thanks for helping, doctor."

"My pleasure, Mister Kaiba." Seto forced a small smile, and then turned towards the door. Upon grabbing the knob and turning it, however, he discovered it to be locked.

He whipped back around and looked at Dr. Teleshov, pointing to the door. "It's locked."

Dr. Teleshov paused form putting Seto's file away. "Patience is a virtue, Mister Kaiba." He replied, a shimmer in his eyes.

_Oh God. Now he's going to lecture me about something from now on, too._ Seto grumbled. He thought for a moment, then grabbed the handle and tried again, this time turning it with care. With a click and a swift motion, it opened and Seto walked out, carefully shutting the door behind him.

Dr. Teleshov sighed and sat himself down in his large chair, flipping open the file of his next patient.

_One day, Mister Kaiba, you will learn the value of time and the virtue of patience._

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	10. The Unmasking

Wow, I'm getting horrible at updating! I'm sorry it took me so long this time...to make up for it though, I made this chapter longer then usual, and threw something extra in, just for you :]

I hope you enjoy it!

(By the way, Seto is a rather difficult character to get into, but I gave it my best here...and don't kill me for how I have this chapter end!)

And thank you, DreamTimeTails, because your latest review somehow inspired me to write the most passionate part of this chapter :] Let me know what you think of it!

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_Chapter Nine_

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Ryou had just taken his last bite of dinner when Michael stood up from the table and began collecting the empty dishes, piling each one strategically on top of the other so as not to create an unsteady stack.

"Here, let me help you with those." Ryou said, picking up his own plate and standing to collect others.

Michael glanced over at him and smiled, "Thank you, that'll make my job go a lot quicker."

Ryou nodded and picked up the last of the dirty silverware, setting it on top of a dish with a clink. "You're welcome, Michael."

Turning around, Ryou began walking into the kitchen. As he was just entering the room, a fork wedged in between two plates snagged on the framework of the door and pulled it out, bringing half of the stack crashing down with it.

Ryou jumped back, alarmed at the sudden downpour of dishware. Yet, when he leaped back in surprise he dropped the rest of the dishes, sending the rest of them tumbling down onto the floor. Michael quickly set his own pile back on top of the table and rushed over to Ryou.

"Are you alright?" He asked, placing his hand on Ryou's shoulder.

Ryou released a deep breath, his eyes enlarged from the rush of adrenaline. "Yes, yes I'm quite alright, but the dishes…" He pointed down at the couple of broken plates and shattered bowls that were scattered across the kitchen floor like abstract confetti. Michael shook his head and replied, "Don't worry about it Ryou. It was an accident, and as long as you're not injured that's all that matters."

Michael gingerly stepped over a few broken shards of glass and opened the pantry door, momentarily going inside and coming back out wielding a broom and dustpan.

Ryou stretched his hand towards Michael, motioning for him to hand them over. "Please, let me clean it up."

Michael looked at Ryou's apologetic face and sighed, handing him the broom and pan. "Alright, you can. I'll go bring in the rest of them."

Ryou began to sweep up the mess, slowly swiping the broom over the floor and collecting all the debris.

Michael came back into the kitchen and set the remainder of the dishes in the sink. He flipped on the faucet, creating a gentle stream of running water and began to rinse off each one.

"You know, Ryou, I'd really like to meet Seto. Why don't you invite him over for dinner tomorrow evening?"

Ryou paused sweeping at the unexpected statement and looked up at Michael, who was facing the sink.

"You could just ask him at school tomorrow. Then after you get home and tell me that he can definitely make it, we'll decide on a recipe and go out to the grocery store and select some ingredients to create a delicious meal."

Michael set a clean plate to the side and glanced over his shoulder, finding Ryou staring at him in surprise.

"Doesn't that sound like a good idea to you, Ryou?"

Ryou gripped the handle of the broom tighter. "Well, I'm not sure if he would want to come over for dinner…"

"Not want to come hang out with his boy? Come on, what makes you say that?"

"He's…he's just so extravagantly wealthy. He's probably used to getting fed each day by some five star chef who uses top of the line ingredients and is served by a butler who brings it to him while he sits at one end of a long, elegant mahogany table. I'm not really sure he would want to give a night of that up to come eat...typical American food in an apartment such as ours."

Michael rolled his eyes and went back to washing off the dishes. "Ryou, if he's that arrogant, then he's not worth your time. I bet if you just give him a chance, make him that offer, he'll come; if for no other reason then to be with you longer."

Ryou continued sweeping up his mess, occasionally using his foot to shove some debris into the dustpan.

"You're right. I'll be sure to ask him sometime tomorrow about coming over for dinner."

Michael grinned down at his reflection in a large steel spoon, drying it off with a towel and putting it next to the other clean items. "Five o'clock would be best, however if he needs or wants a later time, that's fine as well."

Ryou nodded and propped the broom against the wall, bending over to pick up the pan. He had to use both his hands to haul its heavy body over to the trash can, and in one cautious flip he dumped most of the broken dishes into the container. He then carried the empty pan back to where he had been and dropped it back onto the floor, retaking the broom in his hands and using it to finish cleaning up the mess he had created.

- - - - -

As the final bell rang, Ryou leapt out of his seat and dashed out the classroom door, careful not to run into anybody. He scampered down the hallway until he found the library doors, coming to an abrupt stop at the narrow window encased near the entrance. Glancing in, he spied it to be completely vacant, except for Seto in the far corner. He was hunched over a book and appeared to be deeply embedded in its words. Ryou took the knob of the door in his grip and pushed it down, shoving it open with his elbow. Once he was inside, he turned around and softly shut it behind him.

Rather nimbly, Ryou walked over to Seto, who was so engulfed in his reading he didn't even notice that Ryou was approaching him.

Ryou watched Seto for a moment, hearing him mutter an unintelligible word and gently turn the page.

"Hello Seto." Ryou whispered nervously, softly placing his hand on Seto's arm. Seto flinched and jerked his head to the side, his eyes softening upon the sight of Ryou's beautiful smile.

"Ryou," Seto started, placing his hand on top of Ryou's and curling their fingers together. He gave a light tug at Ryou's arm, and he bent forward until their lips met in a tender greeting.

Pulling back from their kiss, Ryou said, "I wasn't sure if you'd still be here."

Seto shook his head up and down, momentarily glancing over to the book he had been studying and shutting it. "I was just reading over some important material. Guess I just lost track of time."

Ryou blinked, and pulled out a chair to sit down. "You mean like a book that will help you run your corporation better?"

Seto released a breath and shoved the book to the side. "No, but that's not important." He placed his elbow on the edge of the desk and leaned forward, noticing how complementary the deep navy color of Ryou's uniform was to his otherwise fragile-looking complexion.

Seto rested his chin in the palm of his hand and locked eyes with Ryou. "Did you come here for the sole purpose of seeing me again, or was there a book you felt like checking out?"

Ryou fiddled with his thumbs for a moment and shifted slightly in his seat. Although Seto always gave the impression that he was completely comfortable around him, Ryou found himself unable to become fully relaxed and at ease. It was almost like he was frozen in junior high, where he got giddy and rather absentminded whenever he was near Seto.

_I hope he can't hear my heart beating…_ Ryou thought, glancing down at his hands.

"Actually, I've been talking with my father Michael quite a bit lately."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "How does that have to do with you being here right now?"

Ryou nervously bit his lower lip, taking in a slow breath through his nostrils. "I told him a lot about you, and he said he would like to meet you someday." Ryou giggled softly, and continued, "Rather, he told me to invite you over for dinner tonight."

Seto remained silent for a few seconds before giving Ryou any clue as to what he was thinking. Then he grinned mischievously, placing his free hand on Ryou's knee.

"Dinner at your house?" He asked, observing Ryou's cheeks faithfully flush to their reddish hue.

Ryou nodded and swallowed hard, feeling his mouth suddenly go bone dry.

Seto's smile faded and he leaned back, removing his hand from Ryou's knee. The sparkle in his eyes was shifting back and forth like the shapes in a kaleidoscope, drawing inconclusive ideas about Seto's thought pattern for poor Ryou.

Seto glanced around the vacant library, confusing Ryou all the more by not letting him read any further into his expression. He found his eyes locking onto uninteresting objects strategically placed all around the room, simply so Ryou would not be able to figure out what he was thinking; he was playing a visual charade.

_His dad invited me to come over to a dinner…he wants to meet me…_ Seto thought, taking a momentary glance at Ryou and crossing his legs. He thoughtfully placed his fingers on his chin and stared down into the table.

_This all sounds pretty serious._

Ryou began to twiddle with his thumbs, growing increasingly anxious as the seconds seemed to click by.

"So, what do you say to that, Seto?" Ryou asked, his voice cracking.

Seto shifted his hand down to the table, slowly rapping his fingers on the desktop.

_Well, I've never eaten at an ordinary place before, it may be charming. Nevertheless, I doubt it will be anything worth my time…_

Seto took one more halfhearted glance at Ryou and saw his eyes glistening with an ingenuous optimism, which only dusted against Seto's stone cold emotional wall but was enough to sway his decision.

_Oh, what the hell. Ryou and his father are probably making a big deal out of this, so the most respectful thing I could do is agree._

Before giving Ryou a proper answer, Seto straightened himself in his seat and leaned forward, his facial expression remaining stagnant. Ryou pouted slightly, expecting Seto to tell him off for wasting his time or simply remain silent.

On the contrary, however, was how Seto actually reacted. A mild grin began to form onto his face, and Ryou thought he heard Seto chuckling softly.

"Yeah, I'll be there." Seto finally replied, reaching over and picking up the book he had been reading.

At first, Ryou didn't believe Seto's words. His heart began to beat faster as he asked, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I'll be there." He said again, focusing on putting his book inside his bag.

Ryou's eyes grew wide, and he leapt out of his chair. "Really? That's wonderful!" He nearly shouted, holding his hands close to his chest and smiling from ear to ear.

"What time?" Seto said, mentally checking his personal schedule.

"Anytime is alright! Oh, but five o'clock would be best for us. If you need it to be later or earlier though, we could work around that…"

Seto shook his head and stared at Ryou, who was still clutching himself tightly. "No, that sounds fine." He responded, pushing his chair back and standing up. He took a few steps forward and halted right in front of Ryou, bending down and planting a sensitive kiss on his lips.

_Besides, I'd rather enjoy the chance at having something genuine happen. Whatever those chances are, anyways._ Seto thought, giving Ryou a quick nod before exiting the library.

- - - - -

Ryou's eyes were transfixed to the clock hanging on the wall, anxiously awaiting for the long hand to perfectly align with the twelve and chime five times.

Michael entered the small room carrying a covered basket. He took a glance at Ryou and the clock, then set the basket on the dining table.

"You know, I think if you stare at it any harder it's going to crack." He commented, watching Ryou's eyes continue to glaze.

Ryou leapt to his feet, flailing his arms a little. "You don't realize how big of a deal this is, Michael! He said yes! He actually accepted the invitation!"

"Of course I don't realize how big of a deal you're _making_ this out to be." He replied, folding a napkin and placing it next to a silverware set. "Like I told you, if he was _really_ worth your time and was _truly_ interested in you, he would accept." Michael shot Ryou a smug smile, and finished, "Just like I said he would."

Ryou reached across the table and grabbed a napkin, quickly folding it and placing it next to another set of silverware.

"Hey, don't go too fast. You might knock something over, "Michael said in jest, going back into the kitchen.

Ryou took deep breath and exhaled, briefly shutting his eyes.

_He should be here soon…_

- - - - -

_You have got to be kidding me._ Seto thought, glancing at the antique wooden door that bore the same numbers as the ones in Ryou's address.

_He lives…here?_ He took a step back and looked at all the other aging apartments, feeling severely out of his element.

_Who would ever want to live in such tiny old apartment buildings? Maybe street vermin, but Ryou…he doesn't deserve to be here._

Somewhat reluctantly, Seto pressed his finger to the rustic looking doorbell and waited, half expecting something to suddenly drop from the walls.

No sooner had he pressed the button then the door whipped open, a flushed Ryou now standing in the entryway.

"Seto! You're here!" He said excitedly, stepping back and motioning for him to enter.

Seto feigned a smile and followed Ryou inside, careful to watch his step.

_So…this is what a "typical" apartment looks like, then._ He realized, estimating the small area he could see to be no more then nine hundred square feet.

Ryou found himself examining Seto's body, finding him to be dressed nicely, a dashing green and grey striped sweater perfectly accenting his dark blue jeans.

_Oh my, he's just as attractive when he's not even trying to be!_ Ryou thought, feeling rather plain in his traditional white sweater and uniform blue pants.

Their gazes met, and they both said a simultaneous hello. Seto took an uncomfortable step forward and gave Ryou yet another sweet kiss, this one lasting longer then the previous.

"You must be Seto Kaiba!" Michael nearly shrieked, having entered the room upon the moment their lips touched. They both jumped, and Ryou backed off.

"Seto, this is my father, Michael." He said, pointing at his beaming father.

Seto blinked, startled to find his demeanor to be quite different from Ryou's own.

"It's…nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine, really." Michael replied, stepping forward and giving Seto's hand a good firm shake. He shot an approving glance at Ryou, then took a step back.

"It's wonderful to find out that you're so punctual! Wish I could say the same for myself…" Michael started, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was late getting to the supermarket, so I didn't even get dinner started yet…"

Seto fought back the urge to roll his eyes, and forced himself to remain polite. "That's alright. I can just…_wait_." The final word in Seto's half truth was squeezed out, and he gave Michael a strained smile.

Michael nodded his head slowly and grinned sheepishly. "Okay, great! I'll go work on that now. Just make yourself at home!"

Seto took another look around the humble apartment and snickered quietly.

_As if._

Ryou sighed and stood next to Seto. "Sorry about all of that, he's got a rather flamboyant personality."

Seto shrugged and examined a small reprint of a Van Gogh picture that hung on the wall.

"I can see that," He responded, his attention glued to the art.

After a minute of watching Seto, Ryou took a step back and said, "You know, I'm just going to ask Michael how long he thinks it will be until dinner is all ready." Still observing Seto, he turned around and entered the kitchen, nearly bumping into Michael.

"Oops! Didn't quite see you there, Ryou." Michael said, slowly turning and revealing himself to be cutting up chicken.

"That's alright. What are you making, anyhow?"

"Chicken with Fettuccini alfredo. Not too boring for your taste, I hope."

Ryou shook his head. "Sounds just fine. I hope Seto enjoys it, though…"

"Don't worry about him so much, Ryou. He's here, and he's not going to care if we serve him caviar and veal or steak and eggs. We've just got to give him a pleasant time and some traditional food. He's got to break out of his exquisite comfort zone once and awhile."

"I guess so…but how long until it's all prepared?"

"I'd say a good half an hour. In the meantime, why don't you two go on a walk? It's not that brisk of a day, the sun is shining, there's a cute little community park not even a block down…" Michael glanced over his shoulder, and added, "And damn, Ryou. You weren't kidding about Seto being a knock-out! For being barely out of puberty, that guy's already developed quite gorgeous features!"

Ryou sighed, and gently smacked himself in the face. "Not so loud! He might hear you and think you're the one who's interested in him."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Right," Turning back, he returned to preparing dinner.

Ryou wandered back into the living room, where he found Seto to be poking at one of the plants resting in their window.

"You have a Venus flytrap?" Seto asked, a confused tone in his voice.

"Yes, that's mine actually. Michael bought it for me the moment I told him we were doing a science project." Ryou walked over next to Seto. "I tried to tell him we were doing an experiment with _light_, but he just wouldn't listen to me."

Seto chuckled. "How interesting."

Ryou leaned forward and peeked out the window, spying the park Michael had been talking about just a short distance away.

"Say Seto, dinner isn't going to be prepared for another thirty minutes…would you fancy a little walk outside?"

Seto prodded at the plant again, silently tormenting it until its mouth clamped shut on a waft of air. He grinned mischievously at the sight.

"A walk?" He replied dryly. "Where, in the street?"

Ryou shook his head and pointed out the window. "There's a nice little park over there we can go to. If you feel up to it, that is. We don't have to if you're not interested."

Seto glanced out the window and down the street, spying a gated area several hundred feet away.

_A walk in a park. How…quaint. _Seto sighed. _Seeing as I'm already breaking out of my normal behavior by simply being here, why not add to the excitement._

"Oh, what the hell…sure, let's go on a walk." Seto replied, his words tainted in part by cynicism.

Ryou looked at Seto cheerfully, then turned around and leaned back into the kitchen. "Michael, Seto and I decided that we are going on a brief stroll." He said.

Michael bent sideways and winked at Ryou, simultaneously giving him a thumbs up. "Just remember what I told you," He replied in a hushed voice.

Ryou glanced at the thermostat on the wall, then back at Michael. "Naturally," Ryou answered, giving Michael a wink of his own before leaving the room.

- - - - -

After a few moments of tugging, the front door shut with a click. Ryou finished buttoning his coat and turned around, finding Seto already standing at the base of the steps. Quickly but cautiously, Ryou made his way down the half dozen stairs and stopped next to Seto.

"All ready?" Ryou said, donning his trademark smile. Seto nodded in response, his eyes too busy drinking in his peculiar surroundings to give Ryou a direct reply.

"Okay," Ryou mumbled, beginning to head towards the community park.

In the next few minutes that passed, a barrier of silence began to form. Every now and then, Ryou would steal a glance at Seto, only to find his eyes wandering everywhere but onto him.

_Well, I'm sure he's not used to being anyplace even remotely similar to our little area…_ Ryou thought to himself.

Mere seconds later, Seto started to speak. "Your apartment…" He began, intentionally redirecting his mind to the snow crunching underfoot.

"Yes, what about it?" Ryou responded, attempting to make a conversation.

"It's…" He paused, taking a second to think about a polite way to convey his personal opinions without being too offensive. "…very small."

Ryou released a breath, observing the mist from his mouth turn into a smoke and evaporate in the blink of an eye. "It's the biggest thing we can afford in this state. Things aren't very cheap in New York…" He glanced at Seto's hand and pondered whether or not he should take hold of it.

"Besides," Ryou continued, "We fit comfortably in it, and it's close to the school."

Seto redirected his gaze forward, spying the little entrance gate to the park. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ryou was shivering slightly.

"What's wrong, Ryou?" He asked, slowing down to get a better look at him.

Ryou tilted his head back and locked into Seto's attention. "Oh, I'm just kind of cold. Not a problem, really."

Seto slowly rotated his head to the side, squinting from the early evening sun's reflection on the snow banks surrounding the park. He looked harder, and spied a bench nestled in between a large tree and a deep indentation where a pond had probably been.

Ryou stepped in place, pulling his hat down further on his head. "Michael said it wasn't that cold outside!"

Seto stared at Ryou inexpressively for a moment, then broke his blank stare with a slight grin.

"He was right. It isn't that bad out here, you're just not used to winter yet." He reached forward and took Ryou's hand from his pocket, lacing their fingers together. Pulling him closer, Seto motioned towards the bench. "Come on, there's a place to sit right over there."

Wordlessly, Ryou agreed, and Seto led them directly to the seat. After they both sat down, Seto wrapped both of his arms around Ryou in a firm embrace, using his lips to warm the side of his face. The breath from his mouth cascaded over Ryou's chilled physique like a refreshing waterfall, creating a new type of warmth that he had never before experienced.

"Is that better?" Seto whispered in alluring tone, only melting Ryou all the more.

"Oh, yes." Ryou murmured, scooting even closer to Seto and resting his head underneath Seto's chin.

Seto chuckled and gently rested his head on top of Ryou's.

_Damn, you're just so irresistibly cute…_ Seto thought, holding Ryou a bit tighter.

_As for this place, however, I cannot say the same_. His eyes skimmed across the pathetic park, finding no more then one other place to sit and a trash can near the entrance.

_Then again, this __**is **__New York. There aren't many patches of raw land around here, even though this area is outside what is technically New York City._

His gaze found itself back on Ryou.

_God, what is wrong with me? __**Why**__ am I sitting __**here**__ of all places, with someone like Ryou? I could have easily refused, I could have easily been an ass to him, but for some anomalous reason…I found myself unable to be._

"Ryou," Seto began, taking a second to collect his thoughts. "I'm…not a person who's easily liked."

Ryou nestled himself closer to Seto, absorbing more of his body heat. "What makes you say this all of a sudden?" He asked.

"You can ask just about anyone in school or in my office what they think about me, and I can guarantee one word they'll all say is inhuman." He sighed, releasing his steaming breath onto Ryou's ear. "So tell me then, what about me peaked your interest?"

Ryou tilted his head to the side, feeling Seto's strong chin gently reposition itself.

He took a quick breath of air, exhaling through his nose. "Well, do you remember the very first day of school this year? That was the same day when I first caught a glimpse of you." Ryou paused, grinning to himself. "Oh, I'll never forget that…" He pulled his hand out from underneath Seto's arm and reached up, placing it against his cheek and turning his face so they could see into one another's eyes.

"Without so much as a word, you managed to capture my full attention. I couldn't even tell you one thing that happened during that class, because I was so…so engulfed by you." Ryou gently brushed his fingers across Seto's cheek, only increasing the silent fervor that tied them to each other.

"Joey told me that you were a heap of trouble just waiting to wreck somebody else's life…and I regret to say that at first, I believed him." Ryou felt Seto's facial muscles tense underneath his hand.

"But I must confess, the moment our eyes met, all preconceived notions about you simply faded away." Ryou leaned back slightly from Seto, angling his face so he could see his complete expression at once. "The eyes are the window of the soul, Seto. You can try as hard as you possibly can to hide your true feelings, but the reality of it is that all you need to do to expose yourself to me…is look me in the eye."

Becoming mildly uncomfortable, Seto attempted to turn his face away, but Ryou kept a firm grip. In response, he clamped his eyes shut.

Ryou sighed anxiously, feeling himself becoming flustered. He kept his gaze locked on Seto's closed lids. "What is it you want with me?" Ryou asked, almost pleading. "Are you just looking for a temporary fling? Do you just want someone to play with? Because…because I'm not that way!" He spat out, three months of bottled up feelings making him grow bolder. "If you think I'm going to let you take me and use me like I'm some kind of public amusement, you can just-"

Ryou was instantly silenced by a deep and sumptuous kiss, Seto's lips pressing onto Ryou's with commanding power. At first, he was caught severely off guard, but grew pleasantly accustomed to the sensation. Profound emotions within him began to stir, and he unintentionally began to replicate Seto's movements. He felt his mouth become saturated by the luscious taste that could only belong to a Kaiba, yet before he even had the chance at returning the favor, Seto pulled away.

"Sincerity…" Seto murmured, looking off into the distance. "If I could just have one thing for the rest of my life, it would be a sincere relationship."

He felt Ryou's eyes piercing against his skin, but he purposely ignored them. "I just don't understand…"

Ryou dropped his sharp gaze and set his head against Seto's chest, feeling it rise and fall with his breaths.

"Don't understand what?" He asked, his heart still racing from their passion filled kiss.

Seto began to rub the bridge of his nose. "Why it's you. Why you're the person who's making me…making me be like this. It just doesn't make any sense!"

Ryou bit his lip.

"I had been around all those other desirable boys at school, ones with luxurious cars and gregarious personalities, for years. I had spent hours trying to coax a few of them into getting to know me, but it always fell through. Nothing was ever meaningful with them...then almost on a whim, you appeared out of nowhere." Seto chuckled quietly through his words. "You had the face of an angel. Instantly, I knew you were going to be different from the others. I could just…sense it."

A smile formed on Ryou's face.

"You seemed like such a brittle person, I thought my harsh words and actions were going to break you in half," Seto continued with a smirk, "You endured all my malicious behavior, and proved me wrong."

Ryou could hardly believe what he was hearing.

_Is Seto…opening up to me?_ He wondered, his pulse increasing.

"You…" Seto said, a sense of susceptibility leaking into his heart. "You're such a beautiful person." He tilted his head down and pulled Ryou's chin up, letting him see into his eyes. "You've already done more to me then you'll ever know."

In a single overwhelming glance, Ryou felt his breath get taken away. As he looked into Seto's cerulean eyes, he no longer saw the vast ocean of sorrow that had at one point been the entirety of his complexion, but in its place were tranquil and trusting waters. The tightly wound band of unsaid passions had been severed, and Ryou discovered himself getting swept away in this newfound side of Seto's soul.

"Do you really mean that?" Ryou asked, desiring a verbal reassurance of what he already knew to be true.

Seto caressed Ryou's face, genuinely smiling for the first time in over a year.

"Every word."

- - - - -

After dinner had been served and consumed, Michael was almost certain that there had been some happening between Ryou and Seto, for whenever he looked at either of them, their eyes both sparkled with the same light. He was intrigued, especially because they had both been relatively awkward around each other when they had left for their walk.

"How was dinner for you, Seto?" Michael asked, attempting to hide his smirk.

Seto glanced down at his empty plate and nodded. "It wasn't bad, thanks."

Still beaming, Ryou stood up from the table and began to collect the empty dishes. "I'll just get these out of our way," He said, looking directly at Seto. He reached across the table and collected Seto's dirty dishware, then piled it on top of his own.

"Michael, can you pass me your plate please?" Ryou asked.

He nodded his head as well, setting his silverware in the center. "Certainly. Thank you."

Ryou gently set the final plate on top, then lifted the pile and made his way into the kitchen.

Michael stared at Seto, who watched Ryou until he disappeared. "I'm glad that the meal pleased you," he said.

Seto blinked, and grinned approvingly. "Yes, you're not a bad cook."

Michael laughed. "Coming from someone like yourself, I'll take that as a complement."

Several earsplitting crashes and a heavy thud shattered the pleasant atmosphere that had been in the apartment, and a wide eyed Seto jumped in his seat.

Michael was about to say something, but then his entire expression changed. "Ryou, are you okay in there?"

No response.

Michael threw back his chair and leapt to his feet, dashing into the kitchen with Seto at his back.

"Ryou?"

Dishes and silverware were broken and scattered all across the floor, some even covering Ryou's still body laying unconscious in the center of all the pieces.

"Oh my god, Ryou!"

Seto ran over the ruined dishes, completely disregarding himself to make sure Ryou was alright.

Michael felt a drop in the pit of his stomach. "What happened to him?"

Seto pressed his fingers to Ryou's neck, feeling for a pulse. "His pulse seems to be weakening…" He swallowed hard, and placed his palm in front of Ryou's nose, not feeling any air coming out of it.

"He's not breathing…call an ambulance!" Seto shouted, his voice strained. Instantly, Michael dashed over to the phone and rapidly began to dial.

Seto gently tilted Ryou's head back and began to give him recessitation, which was made only more difficult by the thick film that was forming in front of his eyes.

_Damn it, Ryou! _He wanted to scream. For the first time in a long time, he felt utterly helpless.

_This is all so unreal…_ _this is all so unreal…I won't let anything happen to you..._

Suddenly, he paused. Remembering Ryou's bruise, he reached across his body and pushed up his sleeve. What he saw, however, only concurred with his fears.

It was still there, that wretched black contusion.

But this time, there was a second dark circle as well, this one further up his arm and closer to his heart.

_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_


	11. Hell's preamble

Okay, so for this chapter I went at it from a little different starting point. However, I rather like how it progressed and ended up.

For those of you wondering, "What's wrong with Ryou?" That question will be answerd in the VERY NEXT CHAPTER!

Also, if you're thinking, "Why do you have Joey in here? Does he really have a part?" Yes, as the chapters progress (and especially near the very end of my story) the reason why I included him will make perfect sense. And if you think Dr. Teleshov is a total bastard, I think you'll soon see why he's acting that way towards Seto! (Aside from the fact that Seto simply needs some hard prodding in the right direction...)

With all that said, here's yet another chapter! Enjoy, review, and let me know what you think :]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Chapter Ten_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_White. A bright and sudden square flash of light, one after the other._

_People. A sea of blurry people, fading in and out from recollection._

_A room. A small, square, colorless place._

_Silver. A flash of a needle, and a prick to the arm._

_Blood. Deep crimson liquid, being sucked into a vile._

_Words. So many words, spoken by unknown voices…_

_A touch. Warm familiar hands, caressing his skin ever so gently._

_A kiss. Tender and affectionate, coming as a temporary goodbye from only one person…._

…_And two black contusions. Terrible omens foreshadowing of future anguish…_

_A soft pillow. Sunlight seeping in through a far set of windows, ever so lightly nudging the lids of his eyes…_

Ryou groaned at the bright rays of sun, his thoughts subconsciously attempting to make sense of all the jumbled half memories that were inside his head. He twisted where he lay, unsure if he wanted to escape the near trance state he had fallen into. Then he opened one eye warily, his lazy gaze falling onto a familiar Venus flytrap. His other eye was soon to follow, and he found himself to be looking at the far wall of his living room.

Turning his head to the side, he spied a puffy eyed Michael with his nose in the daily newspaper, a look of despondency etched onto his face.

Michael glanced over the edge of his paper and saw that Ryou was awake, and he instantly folded his paper in half.

A reassured smile stretched across his weary face. "Hey there," He whispered, leaning closer to his son.

Ryou blinked heavily and replied, "Good morning, Michael…"

Michael stretched his hand forward and brushed some hair out of Ryou's face. "You really gave Seto and me quite the scare last night, you know that?"

Rubbing his eyes, Ryou forced a tired smile. "You mean when I fainted unexpectedly in the kitchen?"

Michael released a heavy breath and chuckled. "Yes, something like that. What I still can't believe is how hard you fell. Actually, it's because you fell so hard that you stopped breathing for awhile. That was probably the most frightening part of it all."

Ryou stretched his arms upward and yawned, easing them back down to his sides. "I remember…I remember seeing white lights, blurs of people, blood being taken from my arm…and an ostensible goodbye kiss." Ryou looked back up at Michael, his eyes beginning to glisten with energy again. "So what exactly happened after I fainted?"

Michael rubbed his temple, momentarily glancing down at the floor. "Well, even though you were half aware and breathing by the time the EMT's arrived, they decided it would be best to take you down to the hospital and have some blood drawn from your arm for testing. Seto and I climbed into the back of the ambulance and rode along to the hospital---"

"Seto came with?" Ryou interrupted. "Where did he go?"

"He left once he dropped you and I back here, since after they took a sample of your blood they let us come back home. Apparently, fainting doesn't warrant an overnight stay in the emergency room. Since we had taken an ambulance there and had no way back to our apartment, Seto was kind enough to call one of his limos and his driver picked us up and brought us back here. He even carried you inside, because you weren't in an awake enough condition to bring yourself in. At first he was going to lay you in your bedroom, but…I told him to set you on the couch so I could stay up and watch you, just to be certain that you would be okay." He grinned softly. "On top of all that Ryou, you managed to break all our dishes in a two day span."

Ryou groaned and reached forward, playfully pushing at his father's arm. "Michael!"

Michael laughed quietly and nodded his head towards Ryou's own arm. "I would push you back, but I saw what's on your arm."

Ryou paused, his eyes widening. "How do you know about my bruises? Did you see them when the doctors took blood out of my arm?"

"No, they didn't touch that arm. While we were in the kitchen last night, Seto pulled up your sleeve and I got my first glimpse at those two ugly black bruises on your arm…" Michael leaned forward and quietly asked, "Ryou, what happened?"

Ryou turned his gaze away and sighed. "I…I don't know."

"Maybe you ran into something, or perhaps you fell out of bed one morning and I didn't hear it?"

Ryou shook his head, eyes still averted. "No, I don't think it's caused by either of those things…"

A slight frown grew into Michael's expression. "What caused it then?"

Ryou put his hand on the top of the couch, pulling himself up and into a comfortable sitting position on it. He was silent for a moment. "Do you remember when I had that horrible nightmare right before Halloween?"

Michael sat back in his chair, a thin line forming on his brow. "Wasn't that the dream that you said you died in?"

Ryou nodded slowly. "That was a part of it…" He nervously fiddled with his thumbs. "Do you recall anything else I told you?"

Glancing at Michael, he saw him shake his head in response. Ryou shifted himself again before replying, "My entire body was covered in these horrible black bruises, Michael. It…it frightened me to the point where I cried, I'm sure you remember that." A cold sensation played down the vertebras of his spinal chord like the keys on a piano, and each note made him cringe in fear. "Something about that dream just seemed to connect in an omnipotent way to my soul…I felt it bind itself to me."

Michael got up from his chair and sat next to Ryou, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around him and hold him close. Looking him directly in the eye, he gently replied, "I know dreams, especially nightmares, tend to feel very real, but that's all they are Ryou---dreams. A dream can never actually hurt you."

Ryou remained silent, his emotions conflicting with Michael's statements.

Reaching over, Michael grabbed his newspaper and opened it up, folding the page in reverse. "You know, your Uncle Nick had another one of his articles published in here. I was reading it a few minutes ago, and I really think reading just the ending would help you in a way."

Ryou observed Michael's increasingly alert eyes scan the page and pause in the far left. " 'Although many people suffer from lurid dreams and fantasies, it is quite an easy thing to deal with. No matter how powerful our nightmares seem to be, all it takes to escape that place where our worst fears and most horrific of memories coincide is to awaken from that subconscious torment and reground yourself in reality.' "

Ryou nodded softly, grinning. "That sounds exactly like something Uncle Nick would say."

Michael refolded the paper and set it down. "It goes on from there to say how much experience he has in the field of psychology, what his hours are, where his main office is, how to contact him…all that stuff. I think you should read the whole article sometime though, it's very good. Then again, all of his articles are. That's why each one is published on the second page of the New York Times."

Ryou blinked. "Every single one? Isn't that one of the most read newspapers in the world?"

"Indeed it is, but for your Uncle Nick, that's but one of his many impressive achievements."

The sudden ring of the phone interrupted their conversation. Ryou shot a questioning glance towards the kitchen, then back at Michael. "That's probably the hospital calling back with your test results," Michael said, giving Ryou a soft smile. "Don't worry, it won't be anything big. The doctor said you probably just have a minor blood pressure issue that needs some medication." He stood up and lightly touched Ryou's shoulder, continuing on into the kitchen.

Ryou released a sigh and wrapped his arms around his body, careful to not let his bruises be bumped. _Michael's probably right about me…there's probably nothing to be all worried about…I do tend to overreact, don't I?_

The minutes seemed to tick on by, yet before he knew it he heard the phone be hung up, that sound followed by plodding footsteps.

"So what did they say?" Ryou asked, looking at the floor but seeing into the distance. Hearing no response, he glanced up.

He hadn't been expecting to see Michael's face looking so drained of life and so lacking of emotion. He felt the chords of his heart get struck by an assaulting wave of fear, and in turn his pulse quickened.

"Michael," Ryou choked out. "What's wrong?"

After another piercing second of silence, Michael opened his mouth. "Ryou…" He said in a whisper.

Ryou forced himself to stand and slowly walked over to Michael, getting an even closer look into his blank and averted gaze. "What did they say?" Ryou repeated a second time, the unspoken knowledge tearing away at his hope.

A split second later, Michael's watery eyes turned and locked onto Ryou, their vacant stare swallowing up all the wishes for good news and replacing them with the fear that had been there all along.

- - - - -

Joey dragged his tired arm across the small table once more, careful that the cloth he held in his hand picked up every last piece of food or dirt that had been on its surface. A sigh of relief escaped his lips, and as he stood up he folded the cloth in half and casually tossed it onto the countertop.

_Glad I'm done with that_. He thought to himself, glancing around the kitchen he had just finished cleaning.

Joey yawned and slowly began walking out of the kitchen, only to come to a stop near the window. As he looked out, the warmth of the sun gushed over his cheeks and beckoned for him to come outside and regain his spirit.

_On a day like this, nobody should have to work. Even if it's just menial chores around the house, everyone should be able to take the day off._

He snickered. _I bet Seto would still work, though. That's his whole life now, work…you know, Kaiba Corp is just blocks away…maybe I could walk down there, just to see if he's in his office or not. Yeah, that'd be nice._

Joey nodded to himself, then turned and entered his living room.

"Hey…" He started, spying his dad plopped in his favorite beat-up leather chair, an open beer bottle in his hand. "…dad?" Joey forced out that ill-given title and glanced down at his shoes, only to look back up at him a moment later. "Can I go on a walk?"

Rotating his head, his dad briefly eyed him up and snorted. "Don't see why you'd want to."

"Well, it's a nice day…" Joey began. "…and I thought fresh air would do me some good."

"Pah. What would do you some good is to get your pathetic ass in gear when I tell you to get up in the morning for some early chores." He lifted the beer bottle to his lips and took a swig of it.

Joey's brow furrowed. "I finished all the cleaning, and that kitchen is as spotless as I could get it…" He paused, observing his father's eyes remain fixated on the television screen. "I'm just asking for you to let me out for a little walk." Joey struggled to maintain an even tone of voice, for whenever he spoke to his father there was always the fear of doing or saying the wrong thing and receiving another hefty beating.

After a second swig of beer, his dad cleared his throat and held his empty bottle towards Joey. "Take this and get me another one."

Joey's shoulders slouched forward, and he took the bottle from his hand.

_Figures there was no point in even trying with him…_

He turned back around and reentered the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed another beer, then closed it and went back to the living room.

As he handed it to his dad, he gave Joey a yellowed grin. "Put that empty one in the garbage outside when you be goin'."

Joey blinked.

_There's no way he could be serious, could he?_

Joey watched in fascination as his dad removed the beer cap with his bare hand, chucking it into the corner of the room. "Oh, and son? If you're not home within the next thirty minutes, this bottle will be in your skull. You hear me?"

Swallowing hard, Joey's head nodded stiffly and he tightened the watch around his wrist. "Yes, sir."

- - - - -

Careful not to close the front door too hard, Joey eased it shut with his fingers and lightly tugged on the handle until it gave a satisfying click.

_Phew. Out of the hellhole for a half hour. Better then not at all._

Joey turned around and breathed in a deep breath of fresh air, the combination between the winter wind and the warmth of the sun toying with his climate perception. The tiny apartment he lived in was always stuffed and hot, because the only time the front door would ever open would be when he would go off to school or when his dad would go on a routine beer run to the little convenience store situated at the end of their block.

_Well, I guess it's a good thing that he doesn't drink and drive. Actually, he never drives. I was the one who always had to make runs to the grocery store in the inner city for food. Maybe it's a good thing that I was held back a year and got my license early._

Joey glanced to his right, spotting the monstrous glass and steel building that was Kaiba Corp about half a mile in the distance. Glancing down at his watch, he estimated that he had enough time to make it there and back. Inhaling another breath, he began walking towards the place.

_At least I used to take my car for food runs, up until I smashed it into a tree taking Seto to his psychologist's office._

He checked his watch again and began to power walk, hoping to get there and return home within his thirty minute time allowance.

_Wait, why the hell did he ask me to drive him there? He's got all his fancy limos and chauffeurs…oh, that's right. He wanted to stay out of the public notice as much as possible._

Joey inhaled and exhaled quickly, his pace border lining a jog now.

_It all happened so fast…I picked him up, took him to where he needed to be, and on the way back my thoughts became so filled with just him that I didn't mind where I was driving and…crashed right into a tree. Sure am glad I didn't get physically hurt, though that crappy car was totaled._

A slight breeze picked up and whisked along his path, blowing some of his hair up and into his face. He brushed it off with a few puffs of his breath.

_I think that was about a month before Seto's drug problem became out of control and he…stabbed me._

A small drop of water pooled in the corner of Joey's eye, and he blinked until it dried up.

_That was when my personal hell went from bad to worse. All those nights we had spent together, all those times we had shared---gone, with one swipe of that knife._

His breathing was becoming more rapid by the second. Lifting his head up, he saw Kaiba Corp no more then a half block away.

_Addictions really are a vicious cycle of misery. But that's all I've ever known…_

Joey began to slow down, eventually coming to a halt across the street from his destination.

_Looks just the same as when I last was here._

He sauntered across the street, slowly approaching the entrance of the building.

_Hmm…I wonder if they'll let me in…just for a moment, I only want to ask him one---_

"Hey, you there! What the hell are you doing here?" A guard at the front yelled out, briskly walking towards Joey. "Only people with Seto Kaiba's permission can be here!"

Joey's blinked and watched the guard reach for his holster.

_Oh shit! I guess that would be a no!_

A half startled grin exploded onto his face like lightening. He whipped around, running as fast as he could back towards the hell he called home.

- - - - -

Up at the top floor of Kaiba Corp, Seto was seated in his chair. He was supposed to be working, but every time he touched a paper his thoughts flew to Ryou. Every time the phone rang, instead of promptly answering with his signature snotty tone, he found himself somewhat politely responding to the other person, something he never really did before having met Ryou.

_Why can't I get him out of my mind?_

The sound of the ringing phone broke his thoughts and he stretched his hand forward to press the speaker button.

"What?"

"Mister Kaiba, a man was just spotted near the West entrance! It looked like he was trying to break in."

Seto turned his chair around and peered out his window, spying a familiar wiry blonde mug bobbing up and down the sidewalk into the distance. His eyes narrowed and he chuckled to himself.

"Wheeler…" Seto mumbled, rotating himself back to his desk. He stroked the bridge of his nose. "Look, next time you see him, don't scare him off. Tell him to come inside, because I want to talk with him. Oh, and don't worry about accompanying him, because he knows his way around this place better then you can even imagine."

"Of course, Mister Kaiba."

The line went dead.

Seto took a few deep breaths and rested his elbows on top of his desk, folding his hands together and lightly placing his chin on his fingers.

_Now the only question that remains is what would make Wheeler just show up all of a sudden? Last time I checked, he's still upset with me._

His eyes wandered around the room, eventually falling back on his telephone.

_That's a question better off being answered by someone like my psychologist._

He unfolded his hands and reached for the receiver, pressing a button to the right of it. Automatically, it connected him to Dr. Teleshov's office.

"Hello, this is Dr. Teleshov speaking."

"Good afternoon, Doctor."

"Ah, Mister Kaiba. I am very glad you have called."

Seto leaned back in his chair. "Why would that be?"

"Well, you see, something of the utmost importance has come up within my family in the past literal hour, and I must depart for the rest of the day."

Seto groaned softly and he brushed his fingers against his forehead. "More important then the well-being of your patients? I had a session planned for five o'clock this evening, and on top of that there's something important I have to ask you."

"Mister Kaiba, you know that my patients are as valuable to me as gold, but I really must go help this needing family member."

Seto rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You know Mister Kaiba, if you knew who this family member was, you would personally request me to go and help them in their time of need."

"Somehow I doubt that."

Dr. Teleshov cleared his throat. "Mister Kaiba, I have…a very strong feeling that your world will be turned upside down within the next several weeks. Now if I were you, I would not be so arrogant, because unlike most "difficult times" in your life, you will not be able to buy yourself out of this one."

Seto laughed softly. "Now if that wasn't one of the most unprofessional things for you to say to me, I don't know what would be."

He heard Dr. Teleshov release a heavy breath, and there was a long pause. "I guess you will just see for yourself, then."

"Yeah, alright. Now what about my session?"

"You can come the day after tomorrow at five o'clock instead, if you would like."

Seto stretched his arm onto his desk, the steady rhythm of his rapping fingers creating a metallic sound on the surface of the steel top. "I don't like being told when to come."

"Five o'clock on Friday it is, then. Now Mister Kaiba, I really must go before he has a complete breakdown. Goodbye."

"Now wait just a damn minute-"

Dr. Teleshov had ended the call. Seto forcefully put the phone back and grunted.

_He better have a fucking good reason to treat me like that. Hell, __**why**__ do I still even let him treat me like that? _

Seto made a fist and pounded it on the corner of his desk.

_How dare that ass call me arrogant! What did he mean when he said I bought my way out of difficult times? And why did he add that I wouldn't be able to this time?_

Seto glanced at his clock and noticed it was almost four.

Unbeknownst to him, in exactly twenty six hours he would have his answer.

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	12. The Inevitable

**Warning: This is a pretty heavy and depressing chapter...read with care. **

**Things will get better though! Eventually...I promise. If you stay with my story all the way to the end, I'm almost positve that you'll enjoy it. I've got some great things in mind for future chapters ;]**

I would appreciate it if **everyone** would **review** this chapter, because I really want to know what's going through your heads at this particular point in the story.

Anyway, without further hesitation, the continuation...

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_Chapter Eleven_

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Although it was nearing dawn, Ryou found himself unable to sleep, his thoughts caught somewhere between a beautiful dream and an unforgiving reality. He had situated himself in the windowsill furthest from his bed, for in that particular place he had the best view of the dark sky that loomed above him like a heavy curtain of cosmic apathy. Paradoxically woven into its fabric were some of the most dazzling gems that one could possibly imagine, some of them appearing close enough to touch. Every one of these gems seemed to twinkle with ageless grace, and on the deepest of black canvases their intensity only increased. One after another they all seemed to reveal to him their omnipotent luster, reminding him that even in the shadows of the night he was never alone.

A single teardrop sprinted down Ryou's cheek, and he quickly brushed it away.

_This entire experience is like an everlasting nightmare._ He thought to himself, his gaze wandering all over the sky. On the horizon, Ryou could just make out a thin strip of deep navy laced with orange and fuchsia. As the seconds became minutes, these colors grew in size and number, quickly evolving into vibrant shades of red and gold. Before he knew it, Ryou began to see the depth of night recede as the promise of a new morning started to come forth.

_Everything's going to change now, isn't it…that's how these things work. _Ryou sniffled and curled his knees up underneath his chin, resting his face on top.

_And to think, things were finally starting to look up for me. I had become comfortably situated in a school where I had proper friends; I had started to grow accustomed to life in a bustling city…I even had gotten the attention of a boy._

Ryou released a heavy breath and stared into the daybreak.

_I really have gotten it all. Oh, but times of great joy are soon accompanied by times of great sorrow…_

Ryou wrapped his arms around his legs and pulled himself into a tight ball.

_I can only imagine the heartache that Seto's had to endure…or even my Uncle Nick. He's told me many stories of how difficult of a task it was for him to immigrate to the States from Russia and all the work he did to receive his doctorate degree in psychology. That alone must have been a ten year period of struggle…_

Ryou closed his eyes.

_I wonder how long my struggle will be. The doctor said it may take years, perhaps only months…I guess it all depends on whether or not I really have what they're thinking. Regardless, I doubt that the days will go by quickly for a long time now that I'm sick._

The corner of Ryou's lip curled up in an apprehensive manner.

_It's funny how whacked your sense of time becomes when you're stricken with illness…only yesterday I was informed about my supposed condition, yet it feels like an eternity ago. On the other hand, its been all of five months now that I've known Seto, and that feels like just yesterday._

Ryou's eyes peeped open and he took another look into the Eastern sunrise.

_Ah, Seto…without you, life would be all the more unbearable. _

He took in a mournful breath and forcefully exhaled, the first beams of sunlight tickling his skin with their warmth.

_I wish that you were here right now, Seto. To simply sit here, whisper sweet nothings into my ear, hold me close…and never let go._

Ryou's eyelids began to flutter, and his head came to rest on the wood trim behind him.

_If only I could stayin your embrace until the end of days. Then I would truly have had it all…_

- - - - -

A few hours later, Michael peeked into his son's bedroom. A dozing Ryou was curled up in the windowsill, his head dropped back on the hard frame and his body still nestled as close to him as possible.

Michael took a few silent steps forward and gently touched his knee. He leaned closer and whispered, "Ryou,"

Ryou's eyes whipped open in surprise and shut just as fast, blinded by the full power of the risen sun.

Michael chuckled. "Didn't feel like sleeping in your bed?"

Ryou groaned stiffly and stretched, rubbing his eyelids forcefully. "I couldn't get to sleep. Guess I just…nodded off here."

Michael nodded. "There's something for you downstairs,"

Ryou blinked and cocked his head, unsure what Michael could possibly be talking about. He staggered to his feet and stumbled down the stairs, finding himself face to face with a massive arrangement of deeply colored roses.

His eyes doubled in size. "Oh my god!" He exclaimed, letting what he saw sink in. Sitting before him were about two dozen roses, half of them a strikingly intense shade of crimson and the other half the deep purple of royalty. Each bud was so profound in color that they hardly appeared to be a flower, but gave the impression that they were woven by the finest silk. All of them were sitting in a fine black vase which was crafted out of noble alabaster.

A small yet very real grin appeared on Ryou's face and he shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, these are gorgeous!" He whipped around and looked at Michael. "Who are they from?" He asked, already sure of the answer.

Michael pointed towards a small card next to the vase that Ryou hadn't noticed. "See for yourself. I haven't touched the envelope."

Reaching forward, Ryou grabbed the envelope and tore away the seal, pulling out a small cream colored card.

Engraved on its surface in fine gold calligraphy was a little note.

_Ryou-_

_After all you've had to endure, I figured you deserved something as beautiful as you. I hope these bring a smile to your face, and I look forward to bringing you on our first date this evening._

_-SK_

Shapeless, warm emotions welled up in Ryou, Seto's short but heartfelt note bringing him a bit of comfort. Flipping the card over, he discovered more to be written.

_Five o'clock_

_Dinner at Chez Jean_

The petite smile that had been on Ryou's face quickly grew into a Cheshire cat-sized grin. He let out a slight squeal and buried his nose into the bouquet, inhaling deeply.

Michael laughed at the sight. "They're from Seto, aren't they?"

Ryou rubbed his cheek against one of the rosebuds, feeling its silk-like petals seem to kiss his skin. He held the vase steadily with his two hands and nodded into the flowers.

"Wow, these must have cost a fortune…they're stunning!" Michael commented, reaching out and touching a rose.

Ryou tilted his head to the side and faced Michael. Holding out the card he said, "Here, read it."

Michael took it from Ryou and began to read it. As he skimmed over the golden words, his eyes seemed to glaze with a thin layer of tears. He put his hand over his mouth, not quite concealing his own monstrous grin. "How incredibly thoughtful of him…"

"It's all so splendid…" Ryou released a content sigh. "…I don't even know what to say." He muttered onto a bud.

Michael stared at the card for another moment before setting it on the table. "Well, be sure to thank him at your dinner date tonight." He said.

His head still surrounded by roses, Ryou stared up at Michael. "How come you didn't wake me for school today? Was it canceled?"

Michael shifted in his stance. Folding his arms across his chest, he replied, "There was school, but I figured after all that happened yesterday…you needed a day off."

Taking a final breath of the extravagant roses, Ryou brought his head back up and stood upright. Giving Michael a grateful smirk, he responded, "Thank you."

Michael shook his head up and down, then turned around and picked up a nearby dust cloth and began wiping it over some furniture.

Ryou glanced down at his bouquet once more and sighed heavily. Pulling out a neighboring chair, he sank down into it. With his eyes attached to the black alabaster vase, he muttered, "These past few days have just been teeming with surprises, haven't they…" He reached out and lightly placed his fingers on the stone, the intense coldness of it rather striking to his touch.

Just barely hearing Ryou's words, Michael glanced over at him but kept on dusting.

_This is so utterly cruel…_ Ryou thought. _It's as though the worst and best possible things that could ever happen to me have collided in a single lapse of time…_

Within seconds, Ryou's gaze shifted onto the floor, his once pleasant expression becoming shrouded in a veil of self-pity and gloom.

"Between my health condition and Seto's unexpected dinner plans, surprises have just been popping—"

Already having heard enough negative overtones from Ryou, Michael threw down the cloth, the sudden snap of the material on the wooden furniture silencing Ryou's voice and causing him to jump slightly.

Michael walked over to Ryou, leaning closer towards him. "Hey, Ryou, listen to me. Even though we got bad news yesterday, the results are inconclusive, remember? They have to do one more blood test to be absolutely certain that you really have what they're thinking." He breathed deeply and added, "Don't let yourself get too pessimistic."

Without as much as an upward glance, Ryou replied, "If that's the case, then why did you look so dead when you got off the phone with the doctors yesterday?"

Michael paused. "Because…what they said you probably have is the last thing I ever expected them to say."

A moment later, Ryou looked up at Michael. The two of them simply locked eyes in silence for a moment, then Michael spoke, "Just go and enjoy your time with Seto tonight, Ryou."

He reached out and placed his hand assuredly on Ryou's shoulder, patting it lightly before picking up the dirty dusting cloth and heading towards the kitchen.

Suddenly Ryou asked, "What if Seto asks about my test results?"

Michael stopped. Glancing over his shoulder at Ryou he replied, "Tell him the truth."

Ryou's gaze shimmered with anxiety, and all Michael could bring himself to do was give him a sympathetic smile.

- - - - -

_That evening, after dinner_

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Seto grinned down at Ryou, holding the restaurant exit door open for him. Ryou glanced up and gave him a half smile, then walked out with Seto following right behind.

Ryou stopped just out of the way of the door. Turning to Seto, he said, "Thank you again for dinner and the roses, Seto. Both were wonderfully unexpected."

Seto nodded. "My pleasure."

Ryou looked down at his shoes and shifted in place. "You didn't have to do all this. That alabaster vase you sent the roses to me in alone must have cost you—"

Seto gently took hold of Ryou's chin and tilted it upwards so he could directly speak to him. "Nonsense." He stated. "I wanted to make you happy."

Ryou gazed into Seto's cerulean eyes and felt some of his fear melt away.

_As long as he's by my side, I think I'll be able to survive whatever comes my way._ Ryou thought to himself.

Seto let go of Ryou's chin and took a step back. Ryou glanced at Seto's hand, then back at his face. "Are we going anywhere else?" He asked.

Seto leaned towards Ryou. "Is there some place you would like to go?"

Ryou glanced around and spotted a pier not too far away. He pointed to it and suggested, "Why don't we take a short stroll over there? It's such a beautiful evening; it would almost be a sin not to."

Seto chuckled. "A sin?"

Ryou nodded quickly.

Seto shrugged. "Alright."

They turned simultaneously towards the pier, and Ryou brushed his fingers against the side of Seto's hand. Seto blinked and looked down, noticing what Ryou was trying to do. Relaxing his fingers, he opened his hand and took Ryou's into it. Combined with his silky skin, Ryou's delicate and almost feminine fingers felt nearly unrealistic, yet they brought so much comfort and balance into the rather rough and tough masculine hands of Seto's.

The air surrounding them was crisp and fresh off the Atlantic Ocean, and was lightly blowing around them in circles. The whole ambiance that began to build up in Ryou brought him a little more security, and he felt a bit less tense.

_Just his touch makes me feel so much better…_

Seto and Ryou were now halfway down the pier, getting closer to the edge that hung above a grand harbor.

"You weren't at school today." Seto said.

Ryou nervously bit his lip.

"Why was that?" Seto finished, gazing down at Ryou.

"Michael let me stay home today. He said I needed a day of rest."

Seto nodded and turned his head forward. As he looked into the distant sea, he witnessed the early evening sunlight dance across the waters in a brilliant array of colors. He stared at them for a few moments, and then his attention went back to Ryou.

"Did your test results come back?"

Ryou's ears tingled at the sound of that painful necessity of a question, and he remained silent. A few seconds later, he glanced up at Seto with a forced smile and said, "Wasn't today just gorgeous?"

"Ryou…"

He began to walk faster and pulled Seto with him, only to release his hand a moment later and leave Seto standing a few feet behind him. Ryou nimbly stepped onto the bottom rung of the metal guardrail and leaned forward onto the top one, distracting himself with the setting sun. "Just look at the colors! And to think it hasn't even touched the horizon yet. We're in for a fantastic sunset tonight!"

Seto took a few steps towards the rail and put both his hands onto Ryou's hips, pulling his body to rest against his chest. He nestled his face into Ryou's hair for a moment, breathing in his scent. Then Seto moved his chin onto Ryou's shoulder and whispered into his ear, "You're avoiding the question."

The heat from Seto's body surged over Ryou's, and he leaned himself closer to that warmth. His memory reminded him of Michael's words, and Ryou knew the inevitable was coming.

One of Seto's hands wandered up to Ryou's chest and pulled him even closer. Leaning in a bit further, Seto planted a long kiss on Ryou's cheek. He then rested his cheek against Ryou's and sighed.

"Seto," Ryou whispered. "The results don't look good…"

"What did they find?"

Seto slid the hand that was still on Ryou's hip around the front of his body to the other one, fully embracing him.

Although Ryou had thought telling Seto was going to be difficult, the more intimate they became the easier it seemed for him to state his true condition. He laid his hands to rest on top of Seto's, curling his fingers around what he could take hold of.

"They…they think I might have leukemia."

Seto's heart just about froze. "Leukemia?" He said, his thoughts beginning to scatter. "How…how could you possibly have that? You're so young…"

The tears that Ryou hoped he wouldn't need to shed started to well up in the corners of his eyes. He sniffled and said, "Apparently when they examined my tests there was an abnormally low amount of white blood cells and blood platelets in my system, along with some other problematic findings…"

"Like what? A low amount of white blood cells and platelets could be related to a number of things. How could they possibly pin it down to such a specific type of cancer—"

"Nearly all of the white blood cells they did find were immature, deformed, or laced by malnourished bone marrow." Ryou's hand quivered a little. "Then they told Michael that when they extracted a few of the worst ones for more precise testing, they came back positive for cancer."

Seto held Ryou a bit tighter. The emotional damn that had formed inside him was beginning to crack, and he could sense that pretty soon his thoughts would begin to shut down. He found himself drawing a blank of what to think or say, so he simply stayed close to Ryou.

Ryou inhaled a strained breath and continued, "Michael asked the doctor if sudden and unexplained bruising had any relationship to this type of cancer, and once he added that I had two black bruises just form out of nowhere on my arm…the doctor concluded that mysterious bruising is one of the first physical signs of leukemia."

Some words stringed together into a logical sentence in Seto's head, and he quickly spat out, "I should have taken you to the hospital the very first time that I noticed them."

The tears that Ryou had been fighting so hard to hold back finally escaped, and they tumbled down his cheeks in clusters.

"Don't blame yourself, Seto. It's not your fault at all."

An overwhelming sting of pain stabbed Seto in the heart, which made him hold Ryou only that much closer. "How could they possibly know all of this from just one test?"

"They don't know absolutely, which is why I have one more blood test tomorrow. Also, they're going to draw some bone marrow…" Ryou shuddered and turned his cheek enough so his lips could rest against Seto's face.

"It's still possible that you could not have cancer then." Seto added, feeling Ryou's cold tears brush against his skin.

Ryou lightly shook his head. "Well, they did say there was a slim chance…but that I shouldn't get my hopes up."

Seto tenderly pulled Ryou down from the railing. Instantly Ryou turned himself around in Seto's arms and buried his face into his shoulder. He was no longer able to fight back his tears, and so he let himself go against the soft fabric of Seto's shirt.

Wanting to give Ryou as much comfort as possible, Seto wrapped his arms completely around his convulsing frame and held him close, closing his eyes and placing his chin at the base of Ryou's neck.

- - - - -

The atmosphere inside the dark office of Seto's grew so thick it could have been sliced with a knife, the dismal tone only supplemented by a thin veil of moonlight that trickled in through the windows.

Seto slammed his fist against the wall, feelings of rage coursing through his system. He breathed heavily, not having felt such a strong emotion since he first began taking his stabilizers. Mere seconds later he ripped a picture off the wall and chucked it with great force across the room, and it hit the ground with a satisfying crash.

Suddenly he found himself facing a mirror, and for the first time his vision caught his empty reflection.

_Just look at yourself. You're internally decaying, but you're too dense to notice until you come to your breaking point._

Seto ran his fingers forcefully through his hair, his mind now teeming with depressed thoughts related to his harsh reality.

He sauntered over to his desk and whipped open a drawer. Staring up at him was the wretched needle filled to the brim with the wicked substance, and the more his eyes drank in its long forgotten appearance the more he desired the cocaine and the rush that was soon to follow.

_This is my heaven…_

As his fingers coiled around the body of it, pulses of intense cravings ran through his veins.

_This is my hell._

He traced the needle's lustrous point along the scar on his arm, the amber colored liquid only beckoning to him all the more. A terrible aura of betrayal to Ryou and Dr. Teleshov exploded around him, and the two dramatic thoughts in his head crashed into one another.

_I fucking can't do this…not to Ryou!_ He fought back against his own immoral urges and finally found the strength to let the needle go, dropping it back into the drawer. He slammed it shut and collapsed to the ground in tears.

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	13. Sheer audacity

Alright, this is probably going to be the last of what I call "intermediate chapters", meaning that the rest of the chapters will have more intensity and depth to them, much like the last one. However, the information given here is important for the story to move along at the proper pace...so here it is. I apologize if this particular segment of the story seems a bit lower quality or less interesting then the previous ones...but I had unexpected problems come up this past week that shook me up and have been distracting me ever since. (My close cousin was stabbed at school...you don't need to say sorry, just letting you know why I wasn't able to concentrate like I usually do.)

As always, thank you to my readers who read and review my chapters almost instantly after they're posted to this site. Reviews, especially detailed ones, mean so much to me.

*For those of you who don't know anything about cancer, there are four stages. Depending on the type of cancer, curability percent differs for each type and the person's age and gender, however most of the time it is as follows: Stage one is 94% curable, stage two is 68% curable, stage three is 41% curable, and stage four is a mere 17% curable. For the type of leukemia that Ryou has (AML), the five year survival rate is 40%.

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_Chapter Twelve_

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Ryou took in a deep breath and held it, removing the lid off a small plastic container. Reaching inside, he removed a dead fly and held it over one of the open mouths of his Venus Fly Trap. Ever so gently, he set the little insect inside the hungry plant and waited for it to eat, watching as it clamped its soft and delicate teeth around its dinner. Ryou slammed the lid back on the container and immediately exhaled. He waved his hand in front of his face, trying to waft some of the putrid smell away from him. Keeping his eyes on the plant, he stood up and reversed the chair that he had been sitting on, only to plop back down on it seconds later. He folded his arms across its back and leaned slightly onto it, forcing his body to relax for the first time in four days.

_Plants make for a wonderful distraction_. He thought to himself, resting his chin on top of his arms.

Michael had recently hung up the phone and was standing across the living room. He had been observing his frazzled son toying with his plant for the past few minutes, meticulously giving each separate mouth its own fly to feast on. He sniffled and an amused grin came onto his face.

_At least Ryou finally found a way to somewhat calm down. Maybe buying him that thing was a good idea. _Michael pondered, slowly heading towards where Ryou was situated. He paused for a moment, then bent down next to his chair. Although Michael looked directly into Ryou's face, he kept his eyes glued onto his plant and remained silent. Michael sighed and placed his hand on Ryou's shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly.

"I know what you're going to say, Michael." Ryou mumbled. "I heard most of your phone conversation with the doctors a couple of minutes ago."

Michael began rubbing Ryou's shoulder. "Then you must've heard that the leukemia isn't that advanced. They say you're just at the beginning of stage two*, which means the odds are in your favor that you'll beat this thing." He paused for a second and watched Ryou's face in hopes of a visual response, but there was nothing. "Just so you're aware, they're going to start you on chemotherapy in ten days."

Ryou breathed softly. "I've still got cancer, Michael." He replied. "No matter what stage it's at, that doesn't change the fact that the rest of my life will be forever altered."

Michael shook his head. "That doesn't mean that you have to live in anxiety or fear, Ryou. Thousands of people get told every day that they have a type of cancer, yet they don't let it stop them from living their lives."

Ryou partially opened his eyes and gazed to the side at Michael. "I heard what those treatments do to a person's system. The noticeable decrease in energy, loss of muscle and fat, drainage of color in the skin, dramatic hair loss…chemotherapy is going to be harder on my body than the cancer itself." His gaze wandered onto the floor. "Michael, what if Seto doesn't like me when I'm bald and scrawny?"

Michael could have sworn he felt his heart get ripped in two upon hearing Ryou's sad yet uncomfortably realistic question. He felt an intense desire to comfort Ryou and scooted himself closer, looking at him directly in the face. "No, I doubt that. If anything, I think he'll be one of the people who help you through this."

Ryou's eyes shifted from the floor onto Michael's caring face, then back down just as quickly.

"Isn't that a bit much to ask or be expecting of him?" Ryou said. "I mean, we haven't even technically been boyfriends for more than three months." He rotated his head to the side and rested his cheek on his arm. "I know he _likes_ me and enjoys spending time with me, but isn't it a bit unfair to just throw this onto him and expect that he just accept this new condition that I'm going to be in?" He rapidly blinked his eyes, sensing the corners of them beginning to get wet.

Unable to take it anymore, Michael leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ryou, who stood up and hugged him back. They both stood in heavy silence for a few seconds.

"Ryou, I realize that, but at the same time this might end up being a good test of character for him. Now I know that he's young just as you are, but at the same time I think if he has the intellectual capability to run a company like his Kaiba Corp, his inner strength should prove to be just as steadfast."

Ryou breathed onto Michael's shoulder and was able to hold in his tears. "Yeah, I guess."

Suddenly, the doorbell chimed. Ryou leaned back from Michael and glanced in the direction of the sound.

"That's strange, I wonder who that could be," Michael commented, looking at Ryou once more before letting him go and heading towards the front door.

Ryou sighed softly as he watched Michael walk off. _Even so, I still think it's not quite right to expect that of him. It's not like he loves me…_ He thought, dragging his feet towards the couch and plopping down onto a cushion.

Before he answered the door, Michael brushed his sleeve against his face to clear it of any stray tears. He could sense that his eyelids were very warm and probably puffy as well, but he reluctantly opened the door anyway. A sincere smile emerged onto his weary face once he saw Joey was their unexpected guest.

"Why, hello Joey. It's good to see you again."

Joey stared at Michael for a second, unsure whether or not to address his physical appearance. Forcing a small grin and nodding once, he replied, "You too." He peeked his head inside the door a little ways. "Hey, is Ryou okay?" He asked, pulling himself back outside. "I mean, he hasn't been at school for three days in a row now and he's never been absent before."

Michael was a bit surprised. "You came here just to see if Ryou was well?"

Joey's cheeks flushed a light pink and nervously glanced down at his shoes, only to look back up at Michael right away. "Yeah, is that alright?"

Michael gazed at the floorboards and shook his head in disbelief. "That's very thoughtful of you to do. Come on in, you can talk to him yourself."

He stepped back and motioned for Joey to enter. He quickly walked inside and spotted Ryou instantly. Turning his head to the side, he said a quick thank you to Michael as he was heading up the stairs, and he strolled over to the couch Ryou was seated on.

"Hey Ryou!" Joey exclaimed, noticing the same tired expression that had been on Michael's face was also on Ryou's. He sat down next to Ryou and they shared a warm embrace. "Hello Joey…I didn't expect you to come over here, but it's very nice that you did."

Joey smiled. "Well, school got out early today so I decided to walk over here right after to visit you and make sure you were okay. Plus my dad didn't know there was a two hour early release, so he won't be expecting me home for awhile."

Ryou nodded appreciatively and glanced down at the floor. "That's very kind of you." He looked back up.

Joey scooted a little closer to Ryou and asked, "So, ah…how come you haven't been at school for so long? You were beginning to get me worried, and that's not easy to do."

Ryou folded his hands and placed them on his knees, hunching forward slightly. "Well, that's kind of complicated…"

The smile on Joey's face faded as he saw Ryou's expression grow dimmer every second. His eyes quickly skimmed over Ryou's body. "You alright?" He moved a little closer to Ryou and leaned forward, gazing into his face. Ryou's gaze shifted down to his folded hands and he began to fumble with his fingers.

_He looks so sad…_Joey thought. Still not having heard a proper answer, he added, "Ryou, you know you can tell me anything. I'm…" He hesitantly reached his own hand forward and rested it on top of Ryou's, giving it a slight squeeze. "I'm here for you."

Ryou's eyes grew wide and he stared down at Joey's hand, blinking rapidly. "Well," He stammered out, "I've been gone because…because I'm sick."

Joey chuckled. "That's all?" He shook his head and gazed affectionately at the side of Ryou's turned face. "Aside from your eyes being a bit red, I never would have guessed."

Ryou sniffled and replied, "It's not that simple, Joey." He slowly turned his head and locked his gaze onto Joey's. "What I have…what I have my body can't cure on its own."

Joey rolled his head to the side and furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

Feeling his bottom lip quiver, Ryou gently bit down on it. "I've got leukemia."

Joey's eyes grew wide instantaneously. He watched as a small tear trickled out of Ryou's eye, and he felt compelled to reach out and wipe it away.

"Are you being serious, Ryou? You…you have _cancer?_" The last word in Joey's sentence had been strained out.

All Ryou could do was nod.

Joey sat back for a moment and ran his free hand through his hair, exhaling heavily. "Oh my god, that's really serious…" His eyes wandered back onto Ryou's lightly shaking body. Leaning over, he stretched his arm across Ryou's shoulder and sighed. "Ryou, I don't know what to say…" He rested his head against Ryou's and held him close.

Ryou began to feel uncomfortable at how increasingly near Joey was becoming, and he gently pulled himself away from the embrace and gave him a flattered smile. Shaking his head, he replied, "I'm also seeing Seto now."

Joey pulled his arms back to his side, plopping them on his lap in defeat. "Even after I told you how he was?" He mumbled loud enough for Ryou to hear.

"Once you get to know him, he isn't bad." Ryou responded, an awkward tension setting in.

Joey shot Ryou an emotionless glance. _Figures. The gorgeous Seto gets the gorgeous Ryou, and I'm stuck on the outside looking in._

"Yeah, well…just watch yourself, Ryou." Joey started. "As nice as Seto may seem at times, he's…" Joey placed his hands on top of his thighs and rubbed his fingers against the fabric of his pants, reminiscing for a brief moment. "He's unpredictable."

Ryou turned his attention back onto Joey, who was just standing up. "What do you mean?"

Joey brushed a cluster of stray hairs out of his face and then shoved his hands into his pockets. Staring across the room for a few seconds, he gazed thoughtfully at the wall. He turned his head back towards Ryou and replied, "Honestly Ryou, I hope you never have to know."

Ryou simply stared at Joey's face, and he could feel the deep insecurity that filled his eyes. Joey cleared his throat and turned once more, taking a few steps towards the door. "I need to go." He muttered over his shoulder to Ryou.

Before Ryou even had a chance to respond, Joey was grabbing the handle of the door and twisting it open. Without so much as a goodbye or an upward glance, he left.

- - - - -

Joey began walking at a brisk pace with no particular destination in mind. He wandered aimlessly along, his eyes still wide and glued to the ground below him.

_You can't possibly be serious, Ryou. Cancer? You have __**cancer?**__ This is all wrong…people like you don't get cancer! _

He trembled, but not from the gust of wind that violently brushed past him.

_And you're seeing Seto? Why on earth would you go and do a thing like that? I gave you all those warnings, I tried to protect him from you, but nevertheless—_

Joey's thoughts were brutally interrupted by the trunk of an oak tree, his entire body crashing forcefully against its stationary weight.

"GAAH!" He exclaimed, his hands ripped from his pockets where they had been nested. He staggered backwards, rubbing his head. He glared at the offending tree angrily. "Damn tree," He muttered in frustration, kicking its bark a little too hard. He let out another cry of pain and jumped back on one foot.

"Uggh…shit." He said, tenderly stroking his head and balancing on his good foot.

In aggravation, he sighed heavily and plopped himself down at the base of the huge tree.

_Why the hell is there a random tree in my path anyways? _Scowling, he glanced around, realizing himself to be in a small park. Looking even further, he spotted Ryou's apartment complex just down the street.

_Oh, that's real convenient. A cozy little park just stuffed into whatever empty plot that was left._

He groaned and shifted himself on the defrosting ground beneath him, sneezing a second later.

_Today's just not my day._ He thought dejectedly, curling his legs close to him and dropping his head onto his knees.

- - - - -

Seto rolled over where he laid, his eyelids scrunching tightly at the sensation of light. He eventually forced himself to squint in the direction of it, the intensity of the sun's rays drawing a moan from his lips. He dragged his hand up from his side towards his face and felt a cold hard floor underneath him.

_That's peculiar…_ He thought, pulling his other hand up to his side. With both his hands angled just right, he shoved himself up.

_I'm still in my office._ He realized, recognizing the familiar floor. _I guess I must have fallen asleep here._

Making sure his hands were both planted firmly on the ground, he guided himself to his feet and paused, steadying himself with the wall for support.

_I'm surprised no one showed up to wake me. Today must be a quiet day or something._

Seto wandered over to his chair and fell down into it. He propped an elbow up on the side of his desk and forcefully dragged his fingers across the side of his face.

Glancing over at his calendar, he spied Dr. Teleshov's appointment card tacked perfectly onto the current date.

_You know, I remember him warning me about all of this that's happened…but why did he know? _He looked over at the clock and realized it was still two hours before he had to be there.

_I can't wait that long._ _I have to find out now. People don't just know something like that. _Seto reached forward and slammed his finger onto a single blue button, hearing the ringing tone a moment later.

"Hello, this is Dr. Teleshov speaking."

Seto placed his fingers against his temple and moved them in small circles. "How the hell did you know?"

"Mister Kaiba? Do you remember that you have a session roughly two hours from now?"

Seto laughed gently, shaking his head at the same time. "Oh, I know, Doctor. What I don't know is why _you_ knew exactly what was going to happen to me."

"I'm afraid I don't recall…"

Seto grumbled to himself. "You told me a couple of days ago that my world was going to get turned upside down. That I shouldn't be 'so arrogant, because unlike most difficult times in my life, I won't be able to buy myself out of this one'."

Dr. Teleshov sighed into the phone. "Oh yes, I remember. I'm also very sad to come to knowledge about Ryou's newly discovered health condition."

Seto paused and glanced at the phone. "What did you just say?" He could hear papers rustling on Dr. Teleshov's end, but no verbal response. His temper began to rise, and he slammed his fist onto the top of his desk. "I asked you a fucking question!" He shouted.

"Please, please, Mister Kaiba…I would love to give you the entire story, but certain factors prohibit me from doing so."

Seto sneered at the receiver. "What the hell does that mean? You certainly had no problem the other day confessing to me some of your personal beliefs and ideas, but now you can't answer a basic question?" He dropped his head into his hands. "You're too much."

There was a long silence. "Mister Kaiba, I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression in the past about what we could discuss, and this time is very different. You're asking me to tell you about another patient of mine, and the law restricts me from doing as such. However, perhaps in the near future fate will bring us to that beautiful crossroad where I can freely talk to you about anything you desire."

Seto lifted his head up and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." He heard a second voice in the background of the phone.

"Another one of my patients has arrived, Mister Kaiba. I must go now."

Seto thought he heard the line go dead. He grunted and whipped his chair around so he could face the window. As he gazed at the glass, he spied his reflection staring back at him. He turned his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, noticing how tousled and out of control his hair was. As he leaned a bit closer, he also saw dark circles resting underneath both of his eyes, and he grumbled to himself.

_Don't you look like hell._ His rigid reflection glared back at him with remarkable hostility.

"Oh, and Mister Kaiba? I hope you aren't disheartened already, for this is only the beginning." Dr. Teleshov added.

Then the line went dead for real.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


	14. The Storm

I'll admit it...I just love how this chapter turned out! It's...it's...well, you'll just find out, won't you? ;]

Please let me know what you think of it!

(By the way xxxemoshortyxxx, the part where they're just holding each other in the rain would be an excellent scene for you to draw, if you'd like)

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_Chapter Thirteen_

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The dark storm clouds of early spring began to roll in, bringing with them a heavy shield of humidity and a volatile sword of lightening. On the ground below, the once stark white snow had turned into a hideous grey substance and was quickly melting into gentle puddles that were stirred each time a passerby accidentally set foot in its domain. The dormant tree branches swayed in the brisk winds, signifying the beginning of a seasonal change.

Off the coastline, thick sheets of fog unfurled their grey haze over the harbors, and with a certain type of grace they found their way around the deep shadows of the governing skyscrapers and eased a path through to the suburban jungle, engulfing the streets with morning mist.

Ryou propped his elbow on the side of the car, breathing in the dense smell of the air and gazing out the window. A deep sense of frailty was setting into his soul; and the realization that he was, in fact, sick, chipped away at his core. His eyes only skimmed over the emerging vapor, for they were preoccupied and fading in and out from focusing on the burdening task that lay before him. Ryou tilted his head to the side and glanced at Michael, who seemed to be in a dead stare at the road ahead of them.

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Ryou?" Michael asked.

"Yes." was Ryou's immediate and dry response.

Michael sighed. "You don't want to just wait another week or two and see what happens?"

"No."

_This is exactly what I was afraid of happening. _Michael thought, keeping his attention glued on the pavement. _Ryou hasn't even started his treatment, and he's already giving in to all his fears. If he keeps that up, he'll…well, he'll never be able to pull himself through with that attitude._

A tense silence filled the car, and Ryou let out a small sigh. As his distant stare wandered outside the window, they came upon his school only half a block away, gradually getting closer.

_I just can't stay at that place, Michael. Once I start the treatment…I won't look normal._ Ryou stated in his mind, glancing at Michael's solemn face.

By the time that Michael had parked the car and gotten out, Ryou's thoughts were able to fully process his decision. At first, he had wanted to just come back to school and still be a part of all his classes, but at the same time who knew how long that could have lasted? With the chemotherapy beginning in only a week, he had concluded that staying in school would be a horrible idea. Michael hadn't been too keen on the idea of Ryou just dropping out of school like that, and he had called the principal and asked if there could be some sort of arrangement made, in lieu of their condition. Much to Ryou's surprise, the principal grew very compassionate towards him and agreed that certain adjustments could be made.

The new educational route that Ryou would have to get used to would be situated to work around his chemotherapy sessions, and he would be allowed to complete all of his work at home. Michael had agreed with the principal that this would be in their best interest, and it would allow him to catch up at his own pace in the privacy of his own home.

As Michael and Ryou made their way through the front entrance of the school, Ryou kept his eyes glued to the tan linoleum floor that he would no longer be seeing every day, a weak smile of remembrance slinking onto his face.

"Hey Ryou, why don't you go down to your locker while I finalize all of this with the administration?"

Ryou slowly lifted his head and stared into Michael's eyes, nodding a few times.

"Be sure to get everything out of it." Michael called out to Ryou as he walked away.

He left Michael standing near the main office and wandered down the corridor, inhaling deeply every few steps. He came to a halt in front of his locker and turned the dial on his lock, hearing a gentle click with each turn. He pulled the metal bolt down and off, using his other hand to open the door. Almost in a trance, Ryou collected each book and binder that was inside and placed it inside his backpack, mumbling the name of each one as he did so.

Just when he was about to grab the last of the textbooks, he felt a warm breath fan across his neck. About a second later, a deep voice mumbled into his ear, "You've finally returned."

Ryou had been concentrating so intently on getting his things that he wasn't even startled by the sudden voice. He turned around and found himself face to face with Seto, who was bearing his teeth in a genuine smile.

Ryou quickly reached behind himself and whipped the last book out of his locker, shutting it with his foot and stuffing the text into his bag. Zipping it shut and swinging it over his shoulder, he replied, "Only to gather my things." He grinned halfway at Seto.

Seto propped his body against the lockers and leaned forward, getting dangerously close to Ryou's face. "Why might that be?"

Ryou bit his lip and swallowed hard, not wanting to admit the truth to him. "Seto, I…I decided to stop coming to school. The teachers will let me finish out the year at home, anyways…"

Seto blinked and furrowed his brow. "Your treatment doesn't start for another full week. There's no reason for you to leave yet."

Ryou shook his head. "No, coming back until the day chemotherapy begins…that would be too painful." His gaze drifted down to his feet. "I couldn't handle coming back here for a lone week and get re-acquainted with everyone, then just disappear for the rest of the year. I mean, I've already been gone for a week as it is. I've gotten somewhat used to not coming here." His eyes followed the strong line of Seto's legs back up to his face. "I couldn't handle returning here for a single week, Seto…I just can't."

Seto watched the fearful glaze in Ryou's eyes grow thicker, almost appearing as if he was about to collapse from the tension. He glanced up and down the hall, then bent down even closer to Ryou. Placing his hand on Ryou's cheek, he gently asked, "Why don't you come to my house for the night?"

Ryou could feel his face growing warmer, but couldn't tell if it was because of the heat from Seto's large hands or the soft yet alluring tone of his voice. He shifted in his stance and muttered, "Well, I…"

"I could show you around the place where I live." He smirked. "I've got a garden of sorts in the backyard. I'm sure that you would find all of the things I've got back there to be very nice."

Ryou remained silent, unsure how to respond.

"Besides, I think you deserve a nice night away from all your troubles, don't you? And while we're there, you can tell me all about this new plan the doctors are going to put you on."

"Yeah, that sounds lovely." Ryou forced another smile. "I think Michael would approve of a night to himself, too."

"Tonight at six, I'll have my driver run by your house and get you. Also, don't bother bringing anything with you, because my house is well stocked with anything you need."

Hundreds of thoughts raced through Ryou's mind at that moment, but he found himself unable to speak any of them. He simply shook his head up and down and gazed into Seto's eyes, his full attention remaining on him even as he walked away and disappeared down the long corridor of the school.

- - - - -

Several hours later, Ryou found himself inside a dark stone Gothic-style house that appeared to be so elegant it almost seemed unreal. The interior of the grand front room that he was in was lit largely by an antique cast iron chandelier that held just over three dozen of the longest candles he ever recalled seeing. The floor underneath his feet was a gorgeous arrangement of seven different granite colors, each one shimmering vainly in the soft glow of the flames. To his right and his left were a set of winding staircases, each one carved out of flawless white marble.

_Oh my god, this is breathtaking._ Ryou thought as he stood in awe. _I knew Seto was rich, but I had no idea that he-_

"I can tell by the look on your face that you like it here already." A voice reverberated from the far end of the circular room, Ryou blinking in its direction. Seto stepped out of the darkness, holding his hand out to Ryou. He turned his head to the side and glanced over his shoulder, a streak of light draping down his cheek. "Come with me, there's something I have to show you." Seto beckoned for Ryou to follow him by shaking his head in the direction he wished for them to go. In silence, Ryou reached out and took Seto's hand, and he was led through a network of other magnificent rooms to the back of the house, where he found himself to be within the walls of a massive enclosed porch. Seto stopped right in front of the screen and pointed outside, Ryou's eyes tracing his finger and falling upon an elaborate garden, lit ever so slightly by the halfway set sun.

Ryou stared out at it in astonishment, his mouth opening a little. Seto chuckled amusedly at Ryou's reaction.

"Everything here is perfect, Seto." Ryou said, turning towards him.

"Not yet." Seto replied, leaning in to give Ryou a kiss. Just as Seto was an inch away, Ryou tensed up and placed a finger on his lip, stopping him just short of his own.

Seto paused and looked directly into Ryou's eyes, seeing their typically happy shimmer replaced with a doubtful one. He pulled back somewhat and frowned, never before been refused a kiss by Ryou.

"Is something wrong?" Seto asked. Ryou sighed and glanced away for a moment. "The main reason why I came…was to tell you something."

Seto cautiously reached out and wrapped his hand around Ryou's, pulling it closer to his side. "What might that be?"

Ryou apprehensively bit down on his lip and locked his gaze onto the floor. "I've been doing a lot of thinking these past several days, Seto. Most of it has been about you." He sniffled. "After I had run out of things that I could think on, I realized something." He slowly lifted his head, his watery eyes now rapidly shifting from looking at one of Seto's eyes to the other. "We can't be together."

Seto chuckled and caressed Ryou's cheek, shaking his head. "Don't make jokes like that, Ryou. For a second there, I almost thought you were being serious."

Ryou nestled his cheek in the palm of Seto's hand. "I am being serious." His eyes squeezed shut. "The final round of tests came back, and they know for a fact now that I do have leukemia."

A bitter combination of nervousness and anxiety began to well up in Seto. "How does this play a factor in us not being together?"

Ryou inhaled deeply and placed his hand on the back of Seto's. "Twelve days from now, my hair will begin to fall out. Shortly after that begins to happen, I'll start losing around five pounds a week…" He choked out. "Seto, I don't want you to see me like that!"

Seto shook his head, unable and unwilling to understand just what Ryou was saying. "You think I can't handle seeing you with a few less pounds or a little less hair?"

Ryou pulled his cheek out of Seto's hand and pushed it down. "I don't WANT you to have to handle it!" His breathing increased, and he went on, "It may be only a little less hair and weight to begin with, but the days add up quickly, and before you know it, I'll be a bald sack of bones." Several tears gushed out of his eyes, and the intensity of their gaze was too much for Seto to bear. He immediately turned his head to the side, attempting to distance himself from the pain that freely ran down Ryou's cheek. Seto gritted his teeth down in hopes that he could keep himself from exploding in a variety of unexplainable emotions. He kept a firm glare on the window panes besides him. Ryou reached up and cupped Seto's face in his hands, redirecting his attention on himself. "Don't you see? By this time next month, I could be nothing!"

Seto locked his eyes shut and contemplated what he could say. "Had you even considered asking me first if I felt like I could deal with this?"

Ryou's lip was quivering, and his eyes were red from the free-flowing tears. "Honestly, that thought had crossed my mind, but when I really thought about it…you just mean too much to me. I can't allow you to put yourself through all this pain, nor do I expect you to. We're…we're only boyfriends. I mean, we've only known each other for five months! It's unreasonable for me to ask that much of you."

Seto brought himself to re-open his eyes and gaze into Ryou's. He took a step back, tearing himself away from Ryou's touch. All at once, feelings of anger and passion coursed through his being, every fiber of his soul conflicting with each other. Part of him wanted to blow up in his face, part of him wanted to fall onto the floor and cry every last tear…and a small part of him disabled him from doing any of these. Instead of reacting in a violent manner, he tensed his hands into fists and then relaxed them, exhaling at the same time. He kept his head turned down for another moment, hearing the mournful sobs of Ryou bounce off the stone right into his face. Finally, he was able to bring his head up and look at Ryou, who was shaking and holding himself close.

"So what exactly is it that you want me to do?" Those words were surprisingly easy for Seto to say, and he took a step forward.

Ryou wiped his nose on his sleeve. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to stay for just a short while."

Seto found his head to be nodding involuntarily in response. Ryou locked his gaze onto Seto for a moment then turned his head back out towards the garden. "Perhaps…perhaps you would accompany me on a final walk through your garden…and then, then I could go home."

Seto was growing irritated at himself for acting in such a calm manner. He grew silent for a minute. "If that's what you want, Ryou." He squeezed out, forcefully rubbing his forehead and cursing himself for his unusual behavior.

- - - - -

As the two young lovers walked silently side by side in the faint light of the disappearing sun, there was an unexplainable barrier of sorrow that was building between them with every despondent step they took. A large wave of black thunderclouds was rolling in, threatening to break loose their full power at any given moment.

Ryou inhaled a slow and deep breath, releasing it at the same speed. "Aren't the first nights of spring just so peaceful outside, Seto?" He began, attempting to destroy the wall that was growing ever higher with each passing moment. "It's almost like all your problems just seem to fade into the warm evening mist…and you just feel so alive."

Seto raised an eyebrow and looked over at Ryou, who was staring straight ahead wearing a goofy smile.

_Is he losing his mind?_ Seto wondered, confused by the switch Ryou had made from hopeless to hopeful.

He continued, "Spring...it brings you optimism. It reveals to you that even while the dead of winter settles over the land, hidden just underneath all the snow and ice lies a layer of new life."

Seto groaned, not quite knowing where Ryou was heading. "Ryou, what the hell are you talking about?"

Ryou stopped walking, and Seto did as well. Without another word, he stared at Seto with a small glimmer in his eye.

A first clash of thunder rumbled in the distance, causing Seto's gaze to momentarily go in that direction.

"That's how it is, Seto. Right now, the seasons are shifting to spring." He released a sigh. "However, I never really found there to be much hope in nature." He pointed to the rapidly approaching storm clouds. "Take those, for example. They're but one of the many cruel features that nature has, and only cause destruction and fear in their wake."

Seto stared at the dark billows and crossed his arms. "I don't understand what it is you're getting to."

Ryou reached his hand up and placed it on Seto's cheek. "I was only using the changing seasons as a metaphor for you, Seto. Although I've only had the pleasure of knowing you for a short time, I've seen you change from an internally dead person into this…this loving and tender being." Ryou shook his head and smiled softly, lightly dragging his fingers across the skin of Seto's face. Using his free hand, Ryou took Seto's hand away from its tightly folded state and brought it down to his waist, placing Seto's fingers around the button of his jeans.

A second clash of thunder boomed throughout the sky, this time closer and accompanied by a quick band of lightening.

Seto's eyes widened, and suddenly the air around him felt tense and heated.

The grin on Ryou's face grew as he continued to stroke Seto's cheek. Bringing Seto's face very close to his mouth, he whispered, "Before I go, I want you to have me."

With a boisterous crash, a third roar of thunder proclaimed its arrival and opened its floodgates, releasing a heavy torrent of rain.

Seto glanced up at the sky. "We should go back inside, Ryou."

Ryou only shook his head no and pulled Seto even closer. "I want you to have me right here, right now."

Seto placed his other hand on Ryou's cheek and added, "It's pouring, Ryou. If we stay out here, it'll only worsen your condition."

Laughing softly, Ryou completely disregarded Seto's statement. He threw his head back and a wildly excited look tore across his face. He brought his face back up and stared at Seto for a moment. "Isn't the rain wonderful, Seto?" He leaned in even closer to Seto, their lips merely inches apart and their bodies slick with rain water. He stroked his fingers against Seto's lower lip, parting them ever so slightly and lightly pressing his own onto them. Pulling back from their kiss, he softly said, "This may very well be the last time I ever get to feel rain on my face." He watched as Seto's expression changed from stubborn ignorance to sympathetic understanding, and he began to feel relatively content. "I'll just stay this one night, and in the morning I'll leave you alone." Ryou mumbled, brushing some of Seto's hair back.

Seto was shocked at how blatantly true Ryou's realization had been. Something as overlooked, simple and ordinary as a spring thunderstorm meant so much more to Ryou, because for him it may very well be the last time he would ever get to experience it. For the first time in Seto's life, he completely knew what he wanted and what he felt, and the pieces of his true self were all beginning to fit together and make perfect sense, and it was all because of the beautiful boy who stood before him now in a silent plea for one last bout of passion.

Seto shook his head, unable to take his eyes off of Ryou. "No way in hell are you going to do that." He said vehemently. "Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere." He quickly unbuttoned and unzipped Ryou's jeans, putting his hand down the front and pressing down onto Ryou's lips in a sweetly saturated kiss. In an instant, they were sprawled on the damp grass, tearing off their clothes at the speed of the lightening overhead. Their bodies intertwined and played into one another in such an ardent melody that even the rain seemed to soften its downpour our of respect to this young love that was as fresh as a tender shoot, steadily growing in leaps and bounds in the warm embrace of the night.

Although their passions were soon to reach their climax, their love remained as fierce as Greek fire, unable to be subdued even in the pouring rain as it fell from the heavens above.

- - - - -

Seto repositioned himself on the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping Ryou that was on the other side. He let out a deep breath and let his head drop back onto the headboard behind him, his gaze fixed on the rainfall out the nearest window.

_I never expected that Ryou would have wanted to do what we just did. _He thought. _I still don't understand, why __**me?**_ _Ryou, I've made a lot of mistakes, I've done countless people wrong…hell, I don't deserve you any more then you deserve to have this cancer._ Seto glanced over at Ryou's sleeping form, and he found himself smiling. _However, I can't stop thinking about you. No matter what you say or do to me…I'm going to stay right here, by your side, and see you through this whole thing. Whether you live or die, I want to be there for you, Ryou. Because…I'm almost certain it's because I'm falling in love with you. _Seto chuckled to himself. _Dr. Teleshov, you ignorant bastard…you were right. Underneath all those past scars of mine…the ones given and the ones received…all I really want is to love and be loved, no matter the cost. _Seto brushed away a small tear, glad that Ryou wasn't awake to see it fall. _I'll say it again, I don't deserve you, but oh…how I want you. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to keep my cool in these upcoming days that you'll be sick…but I can try my best." _He stretched his arm across his leg and turned it over, placing his hand over the scar on his arm and lightly squeezing it. _I've got my own battles to fight, too…_ He quickly flipped his arm over and folded them together, letting his cold hands rest by each elbow.

_I know you told me that you don't want me to have to watch you suffer and have to deal with all the anguish that will accompany this stage of your life, but honestly the greater pain for me would to not be by your side. It's almost as though I'm addicted to you. Perhaps one day I'll be able to tell you just how much I care._

Seto carefully leaned over and dusted some hair off Ryou's face and bent over his body gently, inhaling his scent. He then pressed his lips onto the silken skin and gave him an equally soft kiss.

_Goodnight, Ryou. You mean more to me than any words could express._

Seto pulled the bed sheets out from underneath him and lay down next to Ryou, bringing them over his body. He wrapped his arms around Ryou's body, bringing himself close and holding him firmly. Seto quickly drifted off to sleep, the gentle lull of the rain and the soft breathing of Ryou comforting him into a deep slumber.

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	15. Heinous Awakening

This is a pretty interesting chapter (I think) and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Don't forget to review! Each review is appreciated, read and pondered... :]

Oh, and be sure to remember this...I tend to make things dark and depressing before I let them turn happy or what not ^_^

So please don't get frusterated or angry or...stuff like that. Just wait and see what I've got in store.

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_Chapter Fourteen_

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Eighteen days had somehow managed to pass, and Ryou found himself already becoming groggy and fatigued from the harsh chemicals that were pumped into his bloodstream each day. Although he had only undergone five actual treatments, their influence on his vigor was obvious, for besides the necessary trips to the kitchen for a meal or to use the bathroom, he had little energy to do much other than sit on his bed and think while in the phases of consciousness that the leftover chemicals pulled him between. As his eyelids fluttered open and closed, his thoughts came and went at the same speed, varying from recalling Seto's warm whispers into his ear to pondering how the days had gone so quickly. However, nothing stood out bolder in his memory then the audacious words that Seto had muttered so fervently against the pounding rainfall overhead but a dozen evenings before. A warm sensation flooded over Ryou, and he smiled.

_You're a man of your word, Seto. I know you don't say anything that you don't mean, which is why that promise you made is so valuable to me._

Ryou released a deep breath, a small dose of hope shining into his window from the sunbeams that flooded his room with the light of midday. He brushed his fingers through his white locks and accidentally removed a small tuft of hair, looking at it a few seconds before tossing it into the nearby wastebasket.

_More hair then usual came out today. Well, I knew it was going to happen. I just…didn't think it would be so soon. Or so much._

He propped himself up against the headboard and turned onto his side, pulling his loose pants up as he laid back down. Ryou groaned to himself as he tightened his belt one more notch, knowing that before long he would need to just buy smaller clothes. He straightened the pillow that was underneath his arm and dropped his body against it, the soft fabric comforting his frail skin.

_But Seto, does this mean that…regardless of what I go through, you care for me…more than just a boyfriend? Could you, possibly-_

A loud thud interrupted Ryou's thoughts, and a few sequential ones after that startled him even more and caused his heart to pound harder. The sound tore his groggy eyes open, and he rolled over, finding himself face to face with Joey.

Ryou blinked for a second, taking in the small mess that he saw surrounding Joey's feet. "Joey? What are you here for?"

Joey's wide gaze stared straight at Ryou, then broke off and wandered over the scattered debris on the floor. He brought his hand to his face and shook his head in self disgust. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry about this, Ryou." He said quickly, bending over to pick up Ryou's prism, the box it had been inside and the table that had been underneath both of them. Joey left the prism outside of its box and propped it on top of the lid, gazing at it in curiosity for a second before speaking.

"I've never seen such a big prism before." He quickly shrugged, and shook his head again. "Never mind, I really can't stay for long."

Ryou stared at Joey's frenzied state in wide eyed wonder, unsure of whether or not things were alright. Before Ryou could ask, Joey said, "I just came up here to leave you this." He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out an off white envelope, holding it out to Ryou. "I was going to just leave it on your nightstand, but I guess I can just hand it to you now instead." He smiled sheepishly as Ryou took the envelope. "Yeah, sorry if I woke you or what not when I knocked your stand over, by the way."

Ryou rubbed his eyes and sat upright, grinning slightly. "It's all right, you didn't break anything, and I wasn't asleep."

Joey nodded and began to fiddle with the prism on the stand, turning it adjacent to the window and Ryou's bed. A stray beam of sunlight soon penetrated the side of the prism, creating a soft array of color on the far bedroom wall. Joey smirked in approval, and directed his attention back onto Ryou.

"Joey, what is this?" Ryou asked, holding up the envelope that had Ryou's name neatly printed on the outside.

"It's a get-well card from me." He dug his toe into the floorboards and glanced down for a moment. "It isn't much, but I figured you needed all the comfort that you could get."

Ryou nodded appreciatively and fingered the clear seal of the envelope. "That's very thoughtful. Thank you."

Joey shrugged, and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "So, how are you handling this?"

Ryou glanced at the rainbow spectrum the light had painted on his wall. "I'm surviving," He replied gently. He looked back at Joey and gave him a soft smile, receiving an even wider grin from him in response. Joey gazed down at his watch.

"You know that I'd love to stay, but I just can't…oh, but I'll be sure and stop by again really soon to check on you!" He gave Ryou a thumbs up. "You can count on it!"

Ryou watched Joey as he left, never before having known Joey to leave so abruptly. He cocked his head in curiosity, and then shifted his gaze back onto the envelope in his possession. With his empty hand, he pushed himself further up the comforter and against the headboard once again. A few seconds later, he fidgeted with the seal until it broke open, and he carefully removed the card from its packaging. A pleasant grin extended across his pale face, and he giggled quietly to himself as his eyes fell upon a cartooned sheep with large blue eyes that resembled two drops of the ocean. In its tiny black hand the sheep held a pink flower as large and vibrant as its eyes, and as it cried a long deeply-colored tear a thought bubble with the words, 'I miss ewe' floated above its head.

"How cute!" Ryou whispered to himself as he opened the card. Inside the otherwise plain white paper he found the words 'Get Well Soon' printed in the center and a fairly short handwritten from Joey printed below them.

_Dear Ryou, this past year has been really fun. I'm glad you came to the school that you did-otherwise I wouldn't have met you! You're one of the most genuine and caring people that I have ever known, and I wouldn't trade the memories I have of you so far for anything else._

_And of course…get better soon! I miss having you at school. _

_Kick this cancer's ass!_

_Your friend until the moon turns blue, Joey._

At the same moment that Ryou was appreciative of Joey's handwritten encouragement, he felt uncomfortable with not knowing whether or not Joey had subdued feelings for him or if he simply took his close friendships seriously. He rested his head back and softly pouted his lips together, simultaneously dissecting the questions in his head. _Now why does Joey care so much? How come he keeps on coming back, time after time? Is he really that good of a friend, or…what?_ Ryou sighed through his pouted lips, the rush of air tossing up a section of his hair. _Well, he's got to just be a good friend. I mean, I think I made it clear to him that Seto and I are together, so that's that._

Ryou leaned over slightly and placed the card upright, propping it open against the prism that Seto had given him on his birthday not that long ago. He then sat back for a second and glanced from the card to the prism, letting his excess thoughts seep out from the alcoves of his mind.

_What did I do to deserve these two supportive guys by my side? After all those years of nothing but torment…I've never had people like this near me before._ An abrupt smirk sliced across his dismal face, and was soon followed by a short and somewhat tearful giggle.

_I really don't think I could make it through something like this without knowing that people cared for me. Well, I know that Michael and Uncle Nick care deeply for me, but having people outside of my family who are concerned…that in itself is a whole other form of affection. With your family, love and sensitivity almost go without saying, but with complete strangers, it's a total self involvement thing. You don't have to give a rip about how someone else is doing, but these guys…these two are different. I admit, it has taken Seto quite a bit of time and obstacles along the way, but I still really believe that there is so much more to him then what meets the eye. Joey on the other hand is always seeking and giving adoration…that's what makes him who he is. Their polar opposites are partially what hold me together._

Ryou found his attention drawn back to the dancing spectrum of lights on his far wall, and he watched them perform until the lids of his eyes grew heavy and shut with comfortable ease.

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_Three days later_

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Although Seto felt a bit bad for sneaking in against Ryou's wishes, his curiosity and need for knowing just what was going on inside that hospital ward was out of his control, and now he found himself donning a black hat and matching glasses in order to remain unrecognizable while personally searching the building for his answer. With his head tilted downward, he was able to gaze over the rim of his glasses and spy the small square on the directory labeled 'Cancer Treatment Center' and find the most direct route to his destination. He turned sharply and began his descent down a short flight of stairs, the soles of his leather shoes squeaking against the clean stone floors of the hallway.

_I don't give a damn if you told me not to come here. I have to see for myself what it is you go through every day, that way I can have a better understanding and respect for you then I already do. _

Seto sauntered past a few nurses and elderly people in cushioned seats, but for the most part found himself to be the only other non-patient in this particular hospital wing.

_Where is everyone?_ Seto thought to himself, coming to a stop at the front of a double wide door labeled 'Cancer Treatment Center'. Without a second thought, he pushed a door wide open and stepped inside, only to find himself face to face with a completely different world. He could feel his heart skip a beat in his chest, and he could sense an entirely different atmosphere in this particular region. Glancing around the room, he laid eyes on about two dozen or so feeble looking people, each one's skin wrinkled and folded into the same basic shape around their thin bones. Their gaunt faces and empty eyes seemed to stare, not look, back at Seto, and only a moment after their gaze met his, their heads seemed to become an unbearable weight, and dropped quickly back to their chests.

As Seto took a step forward, a thick lump of apprehension grew in his throat, and he swallowed it hard.

_So this is where everyone is…_ Seto realized, glancing around the crowded room.

_Is everyone in here old enough to be a grandparent? What does that mean for Ryou?_

Stepping past an older person slumped over in a wheelchair, he cautiously made his way towards the main desk in the facility.

"Excuse me," Seto began, adjusting his glasses to be sure the receptionist would not be able to see him. "Could you tell me how old most of the people in this treatment center are?"

The middle aged woman glanced up at him curiously from her oversized binder and sighed, clicking her pen up and down a few times before responding. "Most of our patients right now are between the ages of fifteen and forty five actually. Which is unusually young, but given the diet and lifestyles of most people these days…things like this tend to happen."

Seto froze in place, but forced his head to nod in response. "Which door takes me to the chemotherapy area?"

The woman raised her eyebrow in question, but stretched her pen behind her to the right and said. "Straight over there."

Instantly Seto turned and headed in that direction, opening yet another set of double doors. A bright light flashed into his face for a second, and he squinted at its vibrancy as he stepped deeper into the ward. As the light grew softer, what he came to see instead ripped his breath right out of his lungs and nearly knocked the stamina out of his knees, causing him to stumble forward and catch himself on a thick panel of glass that separated where he was from where many of the cancer patients were being treated.

_What kind of a hell is this?_

Much to his disgust, Seto's eyes began to wander around the glass enclosed room, where he saw colorless people with feigned hope plastered onto their faces get numerous IVs channeled into their arms, each one hooked up to individual bags of chemicals. Aside from the doctors, every single damned soul in that room appeared to be on the virge of death, apparantly sustained by the harsh drugs being pumped through their bloodstreams. As far as Seto could tell, nobody in that room seemed even remotely aware that they were still alive, and simply gazed with stupid grins that stretched their furrowed stark white skin to the point of where Seto feared it might just tear off.

Suddenly, the most shocking realization finally clicked in his mind—_Most of these people are between the ages of fifteen and forty five? How the hell is that possible?_

Seto's glazed eyes wandered from face to face, each one appearing to belong to a person of equal age as the next. A heavy feeling of dread caked over his soul, and he nervously bit his lip.

_Is this place even real? And where is Ryou? Is this going to be his fate as well?_

The initial surprise of the treatment center had blown him off guard, and he silently cursed himself for momentarily forgetting about Ryou.

Seto's eyes came to rest on a white haired person seated in the far corner of the room, their arm propped up against a chair and their face turned away from the spot where Seto was located. Merely seconds later, a doctor approached them and they turned their chair enough for Seto to get a good look at the person seated there.

_Ryou! _Seto wanted to cry out. Only a few feet away, a thinner but still human looking Ryou sat against the tall brown back of the chair, numerous chords connecting his body to nearby machines and chemical bags. His skin was still relatively youthful in appearance, and Seto was relieved to see that most of his hair was still attached to his head.

_Damn it, Ryou…what are you doing in a place like this? Surrounded by all these people on the verge of death…_ He made a fist, but relaxed it before placing it firmly against the glass. _Why would you come willingly to a place like this to receive treatment? Is every cancer ward as fucking lifeless as this one? _He felt the tension in his throat come back as he watched Ryou's face contort with pain, due to a second doctor drawing blood from his naked arm with a long needle.

Seto shut his eyes forcefully and drew in a sharp breath, turning his head away from the room. _This is too much. _

He opened his eyes and noticed a small box of pamphlets nearby, and as a distraction he ripped one out of the plastic container and held it in front of his face, pretending to read it. Only a second later, he began inching the paper down to force himself to get another look at the place where Ryou came for hours every day, and he felt himself gag at the second sight of so many drained bodies.

_I've had enough of this place._ Seto thought in disgust, tossing the pamphlet down on the windows ledge. A nurse who had been standing nearby stared at him as he stomped out of the ward, his hands stuffed into his pockets and his head turned down so that nobody could see any portion of his face.

The very instant that he was outside of the hospital, he pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, a single thick teardrop escaping each one. Shoving them back on a moment later, he motioned for his nearby chauffer that he was ready to leave.

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Although Seto was back inside his office, faces of those people who were being eaten alive by their disease kept reappearing in his mind, and he forcefully shook his head, hoping that somehow the thoughts would be erased from his mind like a picture on an Etch-A-Sketch.

…_**Come on Seto…you know you can't resist me much longer…**_

The shapeless emotions that welled up within Seto as he leaned back into the soft dark cushion of his office chair were entirely unintended. Despair, apathy, enlightenment, confusion…all of these things that had lain dormant for a few hundred days within his being were now being set and molded into a realm of his soul he forgot existed. As he took in the unusually stagnant air that surrounded him, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions rammed around his brain in chaotic collisions, setting his future actions of unspeakable repetition into motion without his knowledge.

In one swift motion, Seto tore off his hat and glasses and chucked them down onto his desk in repulse. With a heavy expulsion of air, he leaned forward in his chair and placed his fingertips firmly in the center of his temples, gazing out the window in a contemplative stare.

_I can't believe a place like that actually fucking exists._ Seto thought, watching the city skyline shimmer in the darkening twilight while fading in and out from a faint daze.

_Sure, it's a great thing that people in Ryou's condition can be treated and have some particle of hope, but…do they really have to keep all their patients in a glass cage like that? _

Seto subconsciously knew what evil he would succumb to soon, but just like any other time he simply bottled the notion back inside himself and shook it off, silently pretending to have never thought such a thing.

_**...oh Seto, you've been away from me for such a long time now…**_

Seto eased his gaze across the horizon, not really paying much attention to what he saw.

_I can't let Ryou stay in a place like that…no, he can't get treatment in such a miserable environment. There's no way he could survive it there much longer._

He leaned back into his chair and glanced at the floor by his feet, idly watching the sun retract its arms of light from his room.

_God, if I can barely stand to be in such an unpleasant place, how can Ryou bare to be in there even for a moment?_

Seto rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and stared blankly at the individual ceiling tiles that decorated the space above him.

_I'm going to have to go back there tomorrow and demand to talk to his doctor, and arrange something where he can get all the same treatments, but in the comfort and privacy of his own home_._ I don't give a damn how much it costs; he's going to get home treatment._

…_**you know full well how badly you long for me and my gratifying sting…**_

Images of all those other grisly looking patients began to flash in an out of Seto's memory again in a pattern similar to a cascading trail of dominos, and his pulse quickened once more.

_Shit, all these hideous faces…they just won't get out of my head!_

Seto clenched his teeth and curled his fingers into fists, his assortment of emotions intensifying.

_Maybe I should take some more Lithium, just to help stabilize my mind…_

He forced his hands to relax and reached to the drawer by his side. Placing his hand on the handle, his eyes wandered down further, planting themselves on the very bottom drawer of his desk.

…_**what are you waiting for, Seto? All it takes is one-**_

Seto found his hand frozen in place, and his eyes glued to the drawer that housed his old addiction.

_No, on second thought I really shouldn't take anything. It would be best if I were to just wait this out, it's just a minor panic attack..._

No matter how hard Seto fought against his inner urges, he found his eyes unable to move off of that drawer and the grotesque pictures of those dying patients stuck fast to his memory, stressing and inflating his mind to the point of explosion.

_**single- **_

He felt all of his restrained passions and deep wounds begin to fester up to his inner surface, and the instant that they combined with the hospital images he knew it was too late…

Just like in his past, he had been pushed over the edge of his bearings…

_Ryou's dying…_

_All those people are dying…_

_Horrible remembrances…_

_Intense emotions…_

_God, I just need…__**something**__…something to relieve me…_

And within seconds his hand had broken free of the top drawer and had torn the bottom drawer open, fishing through all the top papers down to the bottom to retrieve his remedy.

In a wild frenzy, Seto tore off the covering of the needle and shoved his sleeve up his arm with such great force that he heard the fabric tear away. However, that didn't stop his hunger, and with an insane glimmer in his eye he gazed once more at the long lost silver tipped solution he always found himself slinking back to, and shook his head.

"Only this one time. I need to forget, I just need to forget…" He mumbled, dragging the needle's tip over his scar before pressing it under his skin and reintroducing the translucent liquid to his system.

_**injection-**_

He leaned back in his chair and heaved a slow but steady breath, all the terribly overwhelming things that had been clouding his mind quickly being erased by a stimulated aura of tranquility that the cocaine had provided to his brain.

There were several minutes of intense peace and relaxation that Seto felt before the high began to fade, and he slowly began to pull the needle out of his arm. Feeling warm drops on his skin, he rolled his head to the side and glanced down, noticing a small amount of blood oozing up from his reopened scar.

Suddenly, his ears began to ring at an alarming volume, and his euphoric state of mind was replaced by another surge of emotions.

_What the hell…_

Seto looked back at the empty needle cupped in his hand, and he instantly knew that his inner bipolar beast had just been reawakened and was more fervent then ever before about the powerful exhilaration that his illegal drugs contained.

Thoroughly disgusted with his impulsive actions, he chucked the needle as hard as he could across the room, hearing it break into pieces with a loud crash, followed by the sound of drizzling shards of glass.

…_**and then you belong to me, Seto. Don't you ever try to forget that.**_

His hands quaking, Seto stared open mouthed at the thin trail of glistening blood that came from his scar.

_Oh, shit...Ryou...what did I just do?_

He tried to steady his hands against his arm, and vainly attempted to suck the cocaine out of his arm like the toxic venom from a snake, but it was far, far too late.

And he knew his second war had just begun.

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	16. Crossroads

Ahh! I hate how it took me slightly over a month to update this time . But anyways...there's somewhat of a twist (or three) in this chapter, so be on the look out for those.

Review please!

And just so you're aware, there are going to be about four more chapters after this one...and then this story will be concluded :] However, something tells me there will be a sequel...what do you think about that?

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_Chapter Fifteen_

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Although Michael's eyes were heavily saturated with tears, these ones were quite different than all the previous ones that he had been shedding on almost a regular basis, for this time they were evoked by sheer happiness. As he gazed across Ryou's bedroom, he still could hardly believe what his mind told him he saw, even though he knew that it was real. While the machines flashed their tiny LED lights, pumped another round of chemo into his son's small body and his personal nurse monitored his vitals, Michael couldn't have felt anything other than overwhelming gratefulness.

_Everything that Ryou needs in order to recover is now within the comfort of his own bedroom. He doesn't have to set foot into that depressing ward anymore for his treatments._

He smiled and wiped his eyes dry.

_It's all because of Seto Kaiba. I just can't grasp the idea of him doing something as generous as this for my Ryou._

He took a step back and lovingly gazed at his son's sleeping body, observing his chest rise and fall in a rhythm that almost perfectly matched the rate of the IV dispenser connected to his arm.

_What I really can't understand is why he cares so much for my son…_

Michael shook his head and turned his attention to the floor.

_I should just be thankful that Ryou matters this much to him. He may just end up saving his life._

He snuck one more glance at Ryou's sleeping body before pulling the bedroom door shut just enough to peer inside.

_You know, I'm almost glad that the drugs knock him out like that, at least this way he doesn't have to spend all day witnessing his body undergo this disfiguring metamorphosis…_

Michael turned and sauntered down the stairs, pausing at the bottom with a thought.

_Maybe I should cook a little something for him so that when he does wake up he'll have something to munch on._

Suddenly the front doorbell rang, interrupting Michael's train of thought. His eyes were immediately drawn in that direction, and his head automatically tilted slightly to the side.

_That's strange, I wasn't expecting anyone else to come today._

He headed over to the door and wrapped his fingers around the knob, pulling it open a second later. He was pleasantly surprised to find Seto standing in the doorway, although his shoulders were slumped in a dramatic fashion. There was a disturbingly inert look plastered onto his cadaverous face, and the troubled shimmer in his eyes was outward evidence of his downtrodden and tormented soul.

Seto seemed to see right through Michael as he opened his mouth and said, "Can I please talk to Ryou?"

Michael was taken aback at the physical appearance of Seto's and found himself at a loss for words. He pressed his lips together firmly and glanced away for a moment before responding, "Well, he's sleeping right now…but please, please come in." He stepped back and made room for him to enter. Seto nodded once and silently set foot into the apartment, almost robotically walking towards the stairs.

Michael observed Seto drag himself across the room, fighting the urge to offer him some paternal comfort. There was a tense lump in his throat, which he forced himself to swallow before calling out, "I can't properly put into words just how much what you did means to me."

Seto froze in place, keeping himself turned away from Michael. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for Ryou."

Michael took a hesitant step forward and asked, "How did you know who to contact to arrange all of this?"

Seto sighed. "If you must know, I visited the ward when Ryou was receiving his treatments. I talked to some doctors that were present, and shortly thereafter I informed them to switch Ryou over to private home care and that all of his medical costs were to be covered exclusively by me."

Michael shook his head in disbelief and rubbed his forehead, his mouth gaped open in surprise. "Why would you do all of this for my son?"

Seto remained motionless for several moments, then turned his head and glanced over his shoulder at Michael, his face still donning the same expression. "I think that answer is rather obvious, don't you?"

Michael remained silent, and Seto shifted his stance to fully face him. "I think you should know something." He contemplated what he was about to say, then raised his voice and stated, "You have raised the most oversensitive, unguarded, and ludicrously naïve person that I have ever met." His nostrils flared as he exhaled, and he turned his face away. He closed his eyes and released a soft sigh. "Yet somehow he's become so valuable to me." His hand swept across his cheek, stopping near his temple as he released a tense breath. What almost seemed to be a smile appeared on his face. "You can't even imagine how perplexed I am."

Michael was stunned silent, but he managed to take a few more steps closer to Seto. He reached his hand out and placed it on Seto's shoulder, and to his surprise Seto didn't flinch.

Michael looked into his averted eyes and attempted to wrap his thoughts around the notion that Seto had indirectly proposed. Although many words were rushing through his mind, he found himself able to say only two, but they proved enough to regain Seto's direct attention.

"Thank you," Michael whispered. Seto brought his eyes onto Michael's and allowed their gaze to remain connected for several seconds before he tore himself away from his touch and eye contact.

"I paid for all of this so that Ryou can receive the best possible treatment that's out there within the privacy of his home. Take good care of him for me." Seto said, staring at Michael's tear streaked cheeks once more before brushing past him and exiting the front door before Michael could notice and ask about all the bloodied scrapes that he had carved onto the inside of his arm.

- - - - -

Seto felt indifferent about lying to his psychologist about the fresh marks in his flesh, although it was fairly obvious that he didn't really believe his claims to their origin. Dr. Teleshov had released an unconvinced sigh and sauntered over to his desk, a few loose papers in his hand. Seto heard the quick click of a stapler, and by the time he decided to glance up he found Dr. Teleshov to be already seated adjacent to where he was. Neither of them immediately said anything, and Seto began to wonder if something was wrong.

"What do my results look like?" Seto asked, opening the conversation.

Dr. Teleshov clicked the pen in his hands a few times before flipping a page and reading over the backside, all the while keeping his eyes averted from Seto. He cleared his throat and said, "Your body is still doing quite fine with the levels of Lithium that you are taking daily, but there is something new on here that you need to see." He held out the stack of papers to Seto, who took them from him. At first there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary on his papers, but as he scanned down the page he saw the bold black letters that said "TOX RESULTS" on them and he felt himself getting warmer.

"Look at it." Dr. Teleshov said flatly.

Seto flipped the page over and saw that Dr. Teleshov had performed a drug screening in addition to his normal testing, and he saw that there was a large red positive sign by the word cocaine. Nearby was a chart that showed just how much cocaine there was in his system, and according to the crimson colored bars the drug that was accumulating in his system would soon reach lethal levels. His eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed.

"Mhm." Seto replied, his grip on the pages getting tighter.

"No, _really look_ at them."

"Goddamn it!" Seto shouted, jumping to his feet. "I _am_ looking at them! What the hell do you expect me to realize?" He pointed a shaking finger at the center of the page, his eyes ablaze with wild passion. "That I've started using cocaine again?" His hands clashed together violently and tore the pages apart from each other, forcefully tossing them across the room and scattering his medical records everywhere. "That if I don't stop shooting up every few hours I'll die and won't be there for Ryou?" As hard as he fought his own emotions, he could feel his eyes glaze over and had to clamp his eyelids shut to contain himself.

Dr. Teleshov stared up at Seto, a calm demeanor settling onto his face. "I simply want you to see the reality of your life, Mister Kaiba. I want you to realize that it is a delicate thing, and once it's over-" He snapped his fingers. "That's it."

Seto stood frozen for a minute, and Dr. Teleshov motioned to the scratches on his arm. "Ryou can't have you dead, Mister Kaiba; he needs you alive and by his side to help him through these dark hours in his life. If you don't stop this crippling habit before it consumes you…well, you will have abandoned Ryou's biggest hope."

Seto glanced down at his wounds and clenched his fingers into fists.

"Mister Kaiba, you have chosen to live your entire life up to this point inside a fortress of your own creation to conceal and protect your inner self from the very things you have always centered your world around, but now that you have found someone who is able to get past all of your barriers you are just about at a loss of what to do next. However, I believe that you know what you have to do, but because you were not expecting any of this to happen you do not have a pre-planned guide as to where you should begin."

Seto released a flustered breath and dropped his body back down into the chair, slumping forward and resting his elbows on his knees. Hanging his head and gazing at the carpeted floor, he muttered, "You really know what you're talking about." He reached a hand up to his face and massaged one of his temples, still managing to keep his eyes away from Dr. Teleshov's. "God, I'm so fucked up. If not for my drug addiction, I would be able to maintain my disorder and lead a relatively normal life." He kept staring down for a few more moments, and then he tilted his head up. "I've been such a bastard, I don't even deserve health." He leaned back into the chair and threw his arms on top of the rests. "Ryou," Seto whispered, his eyes narrowing into slits. "…he hasn't done a single bad thing, yet he's the one condemned to death. I should be the one dying of cancer, _not_ Ryou."

Dr. Teleshov clicked his pen once more. "Sometimes guilt will eat away at us inside and cause us to feel like that."

Seto chuckled softly and shook his head. "This isn't just guilt, doctor. This is a lifetime of shitty decisions on my part, and now I just have to deal with the repercussions."

Seto slumped forward in his chair once again and held his head in his hands, the rest of his body slightly shaking. "What the hell am I doing? And what the hell am I supposed to do now?" He slowly shook his head from side to side. "How do I even start to fix all of this crap I've invited into my life?"

Dr. Teleshov leaned forward, and Seto could sense that he was closer to him now than he ever had been before. "I think you already know the answers to those questions, son."

The final word that slipped out of his mouth had caught Seto's attention, and he instantly looked up and into Dr. Teleshov's eyes, which seemed softer than what was normal for him. "What did you just call me?"

Their gaze remained locked in a firm silence for several seconds before Dr. Teleshov broke the stillness with an uncomfortable smile. "Ah, _malchik_, what have I just said…" His voice trailed off as he stood up and turned his back to Seto. "I apologize for my wording, Mister Kaiba. It's just-" He slowly turned back around and faced Seto again. "If my first son were still alive, he would look and be just like you. It's almost overwhelming how much you remind me of my dearly departed Demitri."

Seto was confused by the topic change, but replied, "You've told me already that I remind you of your son."

Dr. Teleshov shook his head. "No, your antics with money may remind me of my second and last son, Ulrich, but it is the passionate fire that burns within your eyes and your striking complexion that remind me of how he was. I can't believe it's been ten years since I lost him…" He placed his hand on his chin and sighed.

Seto was bewildered once again by Dr. Teleshov's behavior. "You sure talk a fair amount about yourself during my sessions. Are you sure that you're a licensed psychologist?"

Dr. Teleshov gazed into Seto's eyes, which had a bright and challenging glimmer to them. He smirked and nodded his head. "Yes, however I usually tend to get too personally involved with my patients…I guess it's just in my nature to want to be a father to everyone who needs it." He bent over and picked up one of the papers Seto had thrown. "I apologize if my practice or my specific words are making you uncomfortable. Perhaps I should just stick with my general guidelines." He said, taking a few steps forward and picking up another crinkled page. After a couple more moments he had recollected the entire document and had placed it on his desk. He straightened his tie and headed back over to his seat, gently placing himself back into it. "You need to go to rehab, Mister Kaiba. Ryou needs you alive. If you'd like I can call over there and arrange for you to start right away."

Seto shook his head and stood up. "I'll go on my own terms after I've spent some more time in thought about all of this." He turned on his heels and began walking towards the door.

"If you don't stop right now, there is a very good chance that your organs will never be able to make a full recovery and you will die!" Dr. Teleshov shouted out to Seto.

He kept walking and grabbed the handle on the door. "Don't worry, for Ryou's sake I won't let it get to that point." He muttered over his shoulder in response before exiting the room.

- - - - -

As Seto walked into his office once again, he could just feel the air around him shift and change, and he could sense deep within himself that something very wrong was going to happen soon. He quickly headed over to his desk and sunk down into his chair, the familiar scent of leather tickling his nose.

_Something's just not right. I haven't felt this terrible in years…_ Seto looked down at his arm and traced his cuts with the tip of his finger, unsure of whether or not denying Dr. Teleshov's offer to immediately set him up with a rehab clinic was a smart idea.

Seto bit down on his lip and saw a silvery shimmer out of the corner of his eye. When he glanced over, he realized that the sunlight was reflecting off of the side of an unused needle he had left out for himself, and in that split second something in his mind clicked and he found all his thoughts to be centered around its metallic luster.

_I just can't figure it out. As much as I care for Ryou, this…this addiction won't let me go. _

His arms began to shake, and small beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. His hand involuntarily opened and reached towards the needle, but as hard as he fought to keep himself away, it was to no avail. Before he was able to even utter a curse word at himself for being unable to resist, the needle's tip was deep in his skin and the noxious fluid was uniting with his blood. Seto dropped his head onto the back of his chair, once again feeling the intensity of his prescribed medication and what had served as his liquid salvation pulsating within his body, except he had no fear of unintentionally injuring anyone this time, for he was all alone.

He exhaled slowly, and as each second passed him by he felt both intense relief and ravenous irritability. He glared down at the needle that was still embedded in his flesh.

_Why does this keep happening? Every damned time that I fight to say no, it seems that its hold over me just grows stronger…_

He clenched his fist together and slammed it on top of his desk, releasing a scream at the top of his lungs.

"Seto? Are you alright?" A familiar voice questioned.

Seto's red eyes flew open and shot in the direction of the voice. He blinked twice, but both times he saw Joey standing before him donning a mystified expression.

Seto blinked again, and glanced down at the needle in his arm. _I guess he hasn't noticed it yet._

Joey took another step forward, still appearing confused. "Why were you screaming just-" He suddenly froze in place, and his face shifted from concern to anger. Joey's entire expression twisted, and the frustration that now filled his face was enough to burn down the very building in which he stood a thousand times over.

"What the HELL are you doing?!" He exploded, sprinting over to Seto and grabbing the empty needle that clung to his flesh. With violent force he chucked it onto the ground and watched it shatter, stomping on it madly with his foot a moment later.

Seto rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You're a bit too late to be the hero, Joey." He muttered.

Joey pounded on the smashed needle one last time before throwing his hands into the air. "Why the hell are you doing this to Ryou?" Taking a step closer to Seto, he leaned in further to his ear and snapped, "Isn't he worth more to you then all the drugs in the fuckin' _universe_?!?"

Seto tensed his jaw and glared at Joey, who looked more furious then he could ever remember him being. "What, do you love him too?" Seto sneered back, holding his eye contact and awaiting Joey's reaction.

As expected, Joey's defiant stare softened somewhat, and his face flushed a soft red. He pulled himself back from Seto and replied, "Well, who wouldn't? He's…one of the best people I've ever met." In mere seconds his gaze hardened once more. "You better not throw him out for your fucking drug addiction, Seto. You _better_ love him."

Just as Seto had thought, the cocaine's after effects were taking root deep within his brain, and right after Joey took a few more retreating steps he leapt to his feet. His power hungry eyes quickly scanned the objects closest to him and settled in on a large paperweight, and his eager fingers embraced its steel body and lifted it above his head. His entire focus shifted onto Joey, and just as he prepared to chuck it at him Joey turned around again, but this time his eyes were overflowing with tears and his mouth was curved down, his lips quivering just as much as the rest of him.

Seto paused and held his stance, waiting for Joey to run. Although he was trembling and broken, Joey remained standing in his spot. "You can't keep having this affair, Kaiba." He choked out. "First it was me and the drugs, and you chose to keep them." He sniffled and took a quivering step forward. "Now you're faced with a similar choice; Ryou, or your cocaine." He took a second step forward, becoming more nervous as he saw the fury in Seto's eyes grow with each move that he made.

Joey shook his heavy head and wiped his eyes. "God, I hope you have enough sense left to make the right choice this time."

"Damn it, Wheeler, if you know what's good for you, you'll keep that oversized mouth of yours clamped shut!"

"I know fucking well what's good for me, Kaiba!" His trembling only increased with the volume of his voice, and he continued, "But I'm not here to talk about myself. I came here for Ryou's sake, to represent him to you because he can't stand here himself and set you on the right track!"

"ENOUGH!" Seto screamed, pulling his arm back and releasing the steel paperweight with a powerful throw. Joey threw his hands into the air and shut his eyes, waiting to feel it smack into his chest, but instead he heard an explosion of glass. When he was able to reopen his eyes, he saw that Seto had turned and was facing his windowed wall. The large panel that had been right in front of him was now a flurry of gleaming shards that rained down onto the empty sidewalk below.

Joey was breathing heavily as he watched Seto closely, not sure what he would do next. However, Seto stood in place, his back turned to Joey and his attention now glued to where his window had been.

"Joey, I don't think I can give this up." Seto whispered just loud enough for Joey to catch.

Joey forced his quaking legs to bring him closer to Seto, who didn't move a muscle. He tore a handkerchief out of his pocket and held it by his arm. "Here, wrap your wound in this." He said. Without turning his head, Seto snatched the fabric from Joey's hand and tied it quickly around his arm, all the while keeping his eyes distant from Joey's.

Joey let out a heavy sigh. "Seto, why don't you just go look at Ryou? Just go and see how miserable he is…" He said, bending down and opening Seto's drug drawer. "…and I can promise you that if you really love him, once you've gotten a good look at just how bad his condition is and just how much he needs you…" He removed Seto's final pair of needles and shut the drawer, holding them in between two fingers. "You'll _never_ be able to turn your back on him like this again."

Seto breathed slowly, concentrating on each breath. After several more seconds of piercing silence, he turned his head and gazed at Joey. His eyes were now as moist as Joey's, and he nodded softly. "I'm willing to try." He replied gently. Joey shook his head stiffly in response, still shaken up from Seto's previous rage.

"Congratulations, Kaiba." He said, stepping backwards. "I always knew you had a pretty good heart." He concluded, heading towards the elevator.

_Even if it wasn't meant for me._ Joey thought to himself as he stepped inside, leaving Seto by himself in hopes that he would soon be able to find himself once more and tell Ryou the truth.

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	17. Breakthrough

Okay, so I counted wrong...this is actually the second to last chapter, not the third. Only two more and then comes a sequel!

This is my favorite chapter in the story, to be honest...because of the blends of emotions and conversation exchanged and what not.

Enjoy and please review!

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_Chapter Sixteen_

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The unremitting artist dipped his slender brush into his deep crimson paint, pausing for a moment afterwards as if reconsidering his choice, but continued to swirl his brush into the color as though he had never had second thoughts. Rather gracefully he brought his hand into the air, lifting up the paintbrush to the blank canvas that lay before him, and carefully placed the tip onto a precise spot. His eyes followed the brush as it traveled in a downward motion, creating a perfectly straight line right where he had intended it to be. His strokes were rather light and small, for if he used too much of the red paint or the lines were too large, it would…kill him. Then he retracted his utensil and gazed upon his first mark, tilting his head to the side and smiling to himself in amusement. The artist repeated this process of dipping, pondering, and painting until he felt that it was time to admire his work thus far, and so he took an extensive step back to find out how good his handiwork was today. However, he had no real worries about the quality of his work, for everything he had ever created up to this point in his life had earned him millions of dollars and an enviable reputation. It was as though he could do no wrong; he was almost what could be considered the da Vinci of modern times. In fact, he was a da Vinci of sorts, except that the real da Vinci would have used literal paints and brushes to create his masterpiece, not blood and the tip of his finger. On the contrary, this artist was entirely fraudulent in the field of painting, for not a day had gone by in his pitiful existence where he had ever created anything with paints or a brush, nor had he ever even come close to an empty canvas. His artwork, whenever he created it, was grandiose and intricate, except this time his creation was more bizarre then anything else he could have imagined. Where exactly the inspiration for his work had originated he wasn't sure, but he knew that the large amounts of cocaine he had injected a short while ago had to play a part.

Seto glanced down at his reddened finger, his eyes climbing up the length of his arm to the cut where he had gotten the blood for his dark art. He then turned his head a bit, spying the previously white handkerchief which had once covered his wound, and he quickly looked back at what he had done. He had not painted a picture on his wall, though, for he found it much easier to write his feelings than to illustrate them. The lettering was all slightly bleeding, but Seto was growing rather fond of how that made the words appear to melt into the next.

_Time's going to warn you with a whisper when it wants to let you know _

_that you can't live in fear of the things that aren't for sure, so stay alive _

_by playing dead_

Seto wiped his blood covered finger off on the edge of his black shirt, keeping his vision firmly locked on the inscription his addiction had stimulated.

_I know I heard that somewhere once before…but I guess the memory was revived by my drugs._ He thought to himself, slumping down to his knees and placing his clean hand on the wall to steady himself as he gazed up at the bold words.

_Good god, why am I writing on my walls with my own blood? Am I really being that affected by the cocaine and the Lithium?_ Seto gently rested his head on the wall and sighed.

_I guess it wouldn't be the first time that I've had an eccentric reaction to the duo…yet at the same time I'm not fond of how this sort of thing is becoming almost conventional. Something's got to change; I refuse to live like this forever…_

His eyes caught sight of the handkerchief again, and his thoughts rushed back to what had occurred between him and Joey but fifteen minutes ago.

_I thought the day would never come that I'd actually consider taking advice from Wheeler, but what he was saying makes sense. I really should go and see Ryou, and not just because of what he told me…although I would be ecstatic if it actually worked like that._

Seto pushed himself to his feet and picked up the handkerchief, carefully redressing his wound to stop the bleeding and protect it from getting infected.

_Now seems like the perfect time to try it._

Seto brushed off a few droplets of blood and headed towards the elevator.

- - - - -

Ryou's eyes slipped open for the first time that day and glanced around his room, spying the nearby machines that were noiselessly filling him up with the powerful chemicals that were hopefully going to cure him. He groaned quietly as his eyes closed again and he shifted himself on his bed, attempting to find a position that wouldn't give him more pain than he had already. Although he knew that the medicine wasn't going allow him to be very comfortable, he was getting to the point where he found the treatment to be more like brutality instead of necessity, and he secretly began to question his doctor's sensibility.

There was a silence as thick as concrete building in his room, and even though he felt smothered by the piercing stillness he found himself too weak to mutter anything louder than a whisper. That whisper, however, was all he needed to gain the attention of a formidable force that had been watching him all the while. As Ryou released a tense and fearful breath, it only called out to the force, his Angel of Death, all the more, and within seconds he sensed a deep and sinister presence drape itself across his room.

Upon entering the space, Death caressed its gaunt fingers against Ryou's now bony and colorless body, mockingly probing at each protruding point of interest. Ryou twisted in response, several parts of his body aching simply to die. At the very utterance of such thoughts, Death was standing at the foot of his bed with open and outstretched palms, beckoning for him to follow into the darkness. It fed his soul lies about how he would not be missed, about how wonderful and peaceful his dying could be, and pointed a wicked finger into the black chasm. Ryou opened one eye, a haze of pain smothering his ability to reason, and for a few precarious moments he began to agree with Death. Perhaps, if he were to simply give up; cease to breathe, cease to suffer…he and the world would be better off. Maybe this was his fate. Maybe his future had been sealed from his very birth, his life nothing more than a fleeting mist in the air of eternity. All his pain, all the torment of humanity, he could leave behind. If he so desired, he could shed his cancer stricken body and haphazardly follow this Angel of Death down into the mysterious void, foolishly take a step forward into the unknown, and possibly terminate his entire existence.

He could just sense his Angel of Death becoming restless, eager and more than ready to accept a new member into his family of perpetual darkness. Ryou felt an icy chill flow across his body like a cooling stream, and it was so caustic that it seemed to sting his skin with a venomous desire. As Death slithered up his bedside like a viper awaiting his prey, Ryou's eyes wearily parted into slits once more. However, as he glanced for the second time at the walls that surrounded him, his gaze was blinded by a patchwork of colors, each one boldly radiating an effervescent hue of the rainbow powerful enough to knock Death and all thoughts surrounding it away from Ryou.

_Where are those colors coming from?_ He wondered to himself, Death and all of its attributes gradually becoming an afterthought. As he rotated his heavy head to the side, his prism came into view, and he quickly realized that this was the source of the extravaganza unfolding all around him. Almost as a sign, the sun had managed to reach its arms down from its kingdom and radiate just so out the side of his prism, creating such vivacious colors that Death and its counterparts were soon unable to tolerate such brilliance and left Ryou to his own devices.

Even though it was difficult for him, Ryou's face lit up somewhat with an honest smile. The warmth of the sun and the parade of colors were transporting his mind back to a better time, back before all of this living Hell had erupted onto what had always been his own little world. He remembered how commanding Seto's presence had first been and how a wave of desire had crashed over him upon setting eyes on his body. The expression he wore, the harsh tone of his voice…and how quickly Ryou had discovered Seto to be much more than a handsome face. Almost like a movie being played back, he recalled every piece of the time they had shared together, and it began to bring him some hope to hold on to. He could nearly feel Seto's warm breath on his neck as he recalled how close and passionate they had gotten, his lips tingling as memories of that intense kiss flooded back. His mind soon shifted to remembering their first actual date together, which also evoked a slightly darker memory of when he had first told Seto about his leukemia. Even though Ryou had dreaded the moment where he had to tell him what was going on his body, just the thought that there was a chance in which Seto would stay by his side gave him just enough courage to come to terms with the chemotherapy. He glanced around his empty room, however, and felt a little disheartened, for as far as he had known Seto hadn't come more than once in the whole month that had gone by. Then again, Ryou reminded himself, the treatments caused him to sleep for most of the daylight hours, and for all he knew Seto had come every day and sat nearby. He also hadn't really been able to talk to Michael about anything other than what he had to eat or undergo next, but Ryou promised himself that the very next chance he got he would ask Michael about Seto's visitations.

Ryou inhaled deeply and produced a small grin once more, the warmth emitted from the colors planting some hope within his spirit. He rolled over on his sheets and pulled one over him, wondering to himself if perhaps fate could prove itself a little ironic and have Seto appear in his room within the short time span that he would be conscious.

- - - - -

And that it did.

Approximately five minutes after Ryou had made his silent request, a weary and forlorn Seto entered his bedroom, his steps light and soft. His breathing was gentle, but he still caught Ryou's attention. Upon spotting Ryou, Seto froze in place, taken aback by how ghastly he now appeared to be.

_Holy shit…is this what those treatments have done to you?_ Seto thought, biting his lip and clenching his hands as he gazed upon the otherworldly appearance which now belonged to Ryou. Just over half of his hair was absent from his head, and his cheeks were unnaturally drained of color and starting to sink into his face. His arms and legs were growing much too thin as well; his elbow and knee bones appearing more prominent on his delicate frame. Seto wanted to take a step back and cover his open mouth, but all of the chemicals within his bloodstream caused him to simply stand there in an abnormal trance, his eyes glazing over from staring so long. The silky tresses that always smelled so richly to Seto were indeed gone, and the lush contours of his face and form had been drained of their appeal. His beauty had faded away; he was now the living definition of an unsightly person.

As Seto stood in a silent reverence, Ryou's tired eyes slipped halfway open and a painful smile lit up his face. "You're here," He spoke softly, slowly turning his hand over and motioning with his finger for Seto to get closer. There was a tense moment in time when nothing and nobody moved, but then Seto took a step towards Ryou, his hand extended towards his lover's grasping palm. Just as Seto was about to take his hand, a dreamy smile covered his face and he slipped back into a peaceful sleep.

Seto blinked and retracted his hand, surprised that he was still able to stand being near a person who was in such a decrepit stage of life. He had never really been one to have compassion or sympathy for those people that weren't in the best of health, but this time, with Ryou, things were somehow different. Tears began to fill the lids of his closed eyes. _Even though you're going through this hell…_ Seto's thoughts began, his hand finding its way down to Ryou's cheek and softly caressing its cold but still smooth skin. _…you're still __**so**__ beautiful._

He hardly could believe what he was thinking, much less feeling, nor had he ever thought that someone would be able to create so many new sensations within him. The very thought that a person as real as Ryou had passions towards somebody as artificial as he was thoroughly disgusted him, and Seto quickly turned away in shame.

_You __**still**__ deserve better…_

Out of the corner of his eye, a small flash of orange caught Seto's attention. He glanced in its direction and realized that a Monarch butterfly had found its way into Ryou's room and was now trying in vain to fly out the closed window. With his eyes glued to its fluttering form, Seto meandered in its direction. To his surprise, the closer he got to it the calmer it became, and by the time he was in front of the window it had fully relaxed and was gently opening and shutting its wings. Seto tilted his head to the side and gazed down at it, observing the pure magnificence of the butterfly's color. Even as he examined its beauty, he found his eyes momentarily wandering back over to Ryou's sleeping body. Although the butterfly's wings were majestic and flawless, in Seto's mind their splendor could still not compare to the now muted and subtle beauty of Ryou. Much to Seto's surprise, he was starting to view Ryou's illness simply as a heinous mask, and he found himself capable of seeing past his current state of ugliness and gaze upon the truly beautiful person that Ryou was.

A smile of revelation stretched itself slightly across Seto's broken expression, for he felt something within himself fall apart at the thought that Ryou might not make it even through the rest of the season. He not only wanted to be with him for a long time, he _needed_ him. Although he had been doing just fine before he had met Ryou, now that he was a part of his life, he felt as though no matter how terribly things had been getting, everything would turn out just fine at the end. At the same time, he felt so hypocritical, because even though he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was in fact falling in love with Ryou, he had let himself fall back into his old addiction, and he hated himself for it.

Having exhaled a deep breath, Seto pried open the window and the screen behind it, allowing the butterfly to escape back into the world. At first it fluttered around the window in gratitude, then like lightening before the storm it scurried off into the distance with a flash of orange, and it was gone before Seto could blink twice.

He shut the window again and dragged himself back to Ryou's bedside, plopping himself down on the chair right next to where he lay. Wrapping his fingers around Ryou's bony and chilled ones, he forced himself to look upon his face once more, and the moment that he did he completely fell to pieces. With a painful crash he fell to the floor, burying his face deep into the blankets that covered Ryou.

"I can't fucking do this anymore!" He wailed into the blankets. "I can't keep lying to you like this. You're the last person that deserves this kind of betrayal!" Seto pulled his face out of the fabric and bit down on his lip, almost to the point of drawing blood, and he winced. "You're worth too much to me, Ryou. You mean so much…" He whispered, shaking his head and shielding his face with his hands.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Seto allowed himself to completely break down. Suddenly he knew precisely what it was to allow himself to feel, and he could almost hear the self created chains that had been holding him down to his demons all this time be severed, one painful link after another, and the resilient echo of their breaking resounded through his mind and made him feel like never before.

In mere minutes, Seto found no more need to cry. As he lifted his head up from his hands and really looked at the world for the first time, he felt light enough to rise up like steam and drift away into some parallel universe where he could remain at peace forever, but there was one thing he needed to take care of before he could truly be free.

Knees shaking, he brought himself to his feet. He wandered over to Ryou's desk and grabbed some paper and a pen, sitting himself down a moment later. Then he began to write furiously, his words driven by his newfound emotions. It took Seto ten minutes and several small pieces of paper to copy down a fraction of everything he intended to say, but it was enough for a beginning.

_I'm done playing these lethal games with my drug addiction, Ryou. Today…right now, as a matter of fact, I'm going to rehab. And I promise you, this will be the last time. _

His hands were shaking from the speed with which he had been writing, but he knew that it was worth it. Standing up, he gathered together all the papers and released a contented sigh.

_You're my only addiction now._

Like an early morning mist, Seto quickly disappeared from Ryou's bedroom and made his way to the clinic for the start of his redemption.

- - - - -

Ryou was torn from his bed, an upset stomach forcing him to sprint towards the bathroom and make it just in time to heave everything Michael had cooked for him into the toilet. He groaned and heaved again, even more items coming up. He remained over the bowl for almost five minutes, his vomiting becoming a dry gag. Gradually he brought himself to his feet and dragged himself towards the sink, wetting a washcloth and scrubbing down his face. He then filled a nearby cup with water and rinsed out his mouth, each breath he took laced with an acidic flavor. Ryou was about to head back to his bed when something white caught his attention, and he glanced towards it with half shut eyes. It was a white piece of paper that had been taped to his mirror, and upon reading the text he blinked and his eyes tore open, reading it again.

"I love you because you mean everything to me," Ryou repeated to himself, realizing that the handwriting belonged to Seto. He smiled to himself and peeled the note off the mirror, holding it close. He turned and came face to face with another note taped on the back of his door, on which was written, "I love you because you are beautiful."

Taped near his dresser he found, "I love you because you are strong."

Laying on top of his journal he read, "I love you because you have endless hope."

Held down by his prism, he discovered, "I love you because you make me see the world in its true light."

Ryou could barely contain himself as he held all of Seto's handwritten confessions close to his chest, careful to not drop them or bend them in any way. As he glanced at the foot of his bed, he found one final small paper that was attached to a larger one that was folded up, and at this point Ryou found it difficult to even breathe.

"I love you because you inspire me to become a better person and fix all of my mistakes." Ryou whispered, his lips quivering from the unexpected tokens of affection. He gently set down the little papers and lifted up the larger one, carefully unfolding it and letting his eager eyes read over the heartfelt poem that Seto had poured himself into.

_When darkness seems to coat your world_

_And all you were has been unfurled_

_You shake your weary head and wonder_

_How all you ever knew went under_

_This seems to be an eternal mess_

_And soon you start to second guess_

_Whilst contemplating deeper things_

_And pray inside your soul might sing_

_Although you fear the very end_

_My heart belongs to you, my friend_

_And when you feel like giving in_

_I'll be there through thick and thin_

_So breathe, my love, and do not fear_

_I'll hold you tight, I'll keep you near_

_Come closer still, and let it be_

_For all you ever need is me_

No words could quite describe the passionate feelings and restored hope that filled Ryou to the brink of explosion upon reading the poem that Seto had written just for him, but it was alright, for the love that Ryou realized they shared went far beyond anything that words could ever portray, and he slipped back into bed without an ounce of pain.

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	18. Bittersweet

Ach! Dear readers, I can't count to save my life. Regardless, there are two chapters after this one...forget whatever it was I said before.

It was great pleasure writing this chapter, although the bit with Joey was fairly depressing, but with a hint of bittersweetness.

**Reviews keep me going! Honestly, even if its just two sentences. It's you, the readers, whose fantastic reviews promt me to write faster and (hopefully) better each time! **

**I write for you! The only thing that I ask is you give me your thoughts or feelings on the story or while you were reading. Thank you!**

By the way, throughout this chapter (but mostly near the very end) I give some subtle and some not so subtle hints about where I am going with my sequal. Can you see them? I made one or two obvious, but the rest you have to read between the lines for.

[*Dr. Teleshov is in his forties, just to make things clear.]

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_Chapter Seventeen_

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_One week later_

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Ryou stared at Seto as he watched him pace around the far window of his bedroom with his cell phone glued to his ear, whispering harshly into the receiver. Seto glanced over his shoulder from time to time, always without a smile, but never without a look of quiet desperation.

"Seto!" A young boy squealed on the other line. "How come I haven't been able to see you for a whole year now?"

"Mokuba, you know that the court ruled me unfit to have direct watch over you." Seto mumbled into the phone.

The youth sighed. "I don't care if you've done something bad. I just want to be by you again, Seto. Can't we just forget about what the courts ruled—"

"No, Mokuba. You can't override the law." Seto said with an irritated tone, his head now pulsing with another headache.

There was a long sigh on the other end, and then Seto continued, "It's not good for you to be anywhere near me until I get everything properly sorted out and under control. I'm having you moved to another house out West, where you will be protected and provided for by your own group of servants."

"Seto, I don't want-"

"Is that understood, Mokuba?" Seto said in a harsh whisper. "Of course, right after this three year restraint is up I'll have you brought back here to New York, where I won't let anybody else take you away from me."

Seto heard Mokuba softly crying on the other line. "Alright, Seto. I trust you."

"Good." Seto replied, tenderly rubbing his throbbing temples.

"I love you, big brother." Mokuba added before Seto disconnected the call. He quickly shoved his cell back into his pocket before he was tempted to say anything else to his brother, then stood perfectly still for several moments.

"Is everything alright?" Ryou's question shattered the silence, and Seto turned his head back towards him.

"As much as it can be right now, I guess," was Seto's nonchalant response as he headed back towards the chair at Ryou's bedside, slowly bringing himself down into it. The moment he sat completely down, his headache delivered another painful blow, but Seto just gritted his teeth and grunted quietly.

_I'd love to have taken some aspirin or something for this bitch of a headache, but right now I'm supposed to be ridding my body of drugs and chemicals, not replacing the ones I've had for a new set. _He thought, unable to even force a smile back at the one which lit up Ryou's bony face.

_At least the worst part of this is over; they told me that the first week would be the most difficult, and it's been that long now._

"Seto, I want to hold your hand," Ryou said softly, placing his hand near where Seto was seated. He nodded his head and put his palm over Ryou's, squeezing it gently to remind him that he still mattered.

"I'm doing this all for you," Seto muttered, using his other hand to press on his forehead.

Ryou's eyelids eased shut for a second before slowly pulling open once more. "What did you say?" He asked. Seto was about to repeat what he had said, but was cut off by the sound of a door creaking open and shut. He kept his attention on Ryou, however, but he didn't do the same. Right after the door had closed, Ryou's eyes had shifted towards it, squinting somewhat in the bright glare of the sun off of his window to see who had just entered. In just a few moments, Ryou's eyes grew wide and another even larger smile spread across his face.

"Uncle Nick!" He squealed out. "You came!"

Seto turned and peered over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Ryou's uncle, but instead of being greeted by a face he had never seen before, he found himself staring eye to eye with a smirking Dr. Teleshov.

"Uncle Nick, this is Seto, the boy I've been telling you so much about." Ryou said, motioning towards Seto. Dr. Teleshov shook his head in a pleasant fashion, and replied, "I know, Ryou. Mister Kaiba and I have met before."

Ryou furrowed his brow. "Really? How is that possible?" He looked over at Seto, whose eyes had a gleam of both shock and satisfaction.

"He's been my psychologist for the past six months." Seto said, only half surprised at discovering the truth. Dr. Teleshov nodded towards both of the boys, and then pulled up a chair on the other side of Ryou's bed.

"Ah, Ryou! My little _matryoshka_!" Dr. Teleshov proclaimed, leaning forward and giving his nephew a brief hug and peck on the cheek. Ryou stared blankly at his uncle before glancing over at Seto, then asking, "Is it true? What Seto just said, is that true?"

Dr. Teleshov gazed up at Seto, locking eyes before responding. "Yes, what Mister Kaiba says is true."

Seto narrowed his stare at Dr. Teleshov. _What the hell… my hunch was right. You really did have something to do with Ryou all this time. I just didn't think that it would be biological._

Ryou sighed, stealing a second glance from Seto. "How come neither of you told me this?"

"Ryou, I am bound by confidentiality laws. It would be illegal for me to tell you anything about my patients, even who they are. As for why Mister Kaiba didn't explain…" He shot a knowing look towards Seto. "…it is up to him to decide if and who he tells about his doings regarding his past and present situation."

Ryou swallowed hard and directed his attention to the foot of his bed for a minute. He pressed his lips together, then relaxed them and gently bit down. "Were you ever going to tell me about this, Seto?" Ryou gently inquired, not bringing his gaze up from where it had been.

Seto groaned and clenched his jaw, lying to himself that his headache was just his imagination. "Of course I was going to tell you, Ryou!" He snapped, leaning forward and gripping Ryou's hand tighter. "Just not until you were doing a little bit better."

Ryou trembled slightly and looked at Seto with sad eyes. Before he spoke, a soft smile came upon his face. "Well it's an awfully good thing that I _am_ doing better, because I would like you to tell me everything."

Seto noticed how much thinner his cheeks seemed to be, but he kept quiet about the irony of Ryou's statement. He placed his free hand behind Ryou's head and pulled him close. Gently caressing the base of his neck, he replied, "I promise you, I will. But first you have to promise me something."

Ryou shrugged slowly and relaxed his head into Seto's strong hand. "Anything."

"You have to promise that you will wait and let me explain all of this once I'm ready to."

Ryou frowned softly. "How long will that be?"

Seto felt Ryou's warm breath on his lips. He felt an overwhelming urge to at least tell him that he was in rehab, but at the same time he realized that would leave Ryou with loose ends and empty questions. Seto knew that it was still too early to come clean to him, and so he swallowed his desire back down.

"The moment I'm pure again." Seto answered. He glanced over at Dr. Teleshov, who smiled earnestly and motioned to Ryou. Seto leaned in the rest of the way and pressed their lips together, sealing his promise. Although it was apparent by the questioning glimmer in Ryou's eyes that he didn't understand, he nodded his head in silence and slipped back down onto his pillow.

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For nearly half of an hour, Seto refused to make eye contact with Dr. Teleshov. They sat together wordlessly on adjacent ends of a couch, waiting for Michael to finish assisting Ryou with his daily bath. He had asked for some privacy, and in respect Seto and the doctor had moved downstairs to the cozy living room, in which they still sat.

Seto grumbled to himself and crossed his legs tightly, attempting to redirect his pain. As he repositioned himself, he felt eyes staring into the side of his head. Glancing in the direction that he sensed them to be coming from, he found Dr. Teleshov gazing straight at him with an overly delighted grin. "Ah, Mister Kaiba, life is full of little surprises, especially where you least expect them."

Seto chuckled and fought off the urge to roll his eyes. "You could have at least _hinted_ to me about being Ryou's uncle."

Dr. Teleshov raised a finger and pointed it at Seto. "Like I have said, that would have been sharing direct personal information with you, and that is against the state patient-doctor conf-"

"Confidentiality laws, I get that the government is fucking uptight." Seto retorted. "At the same time though, you answered some fairly personal questions about your beliefs and such that I asked you. Why?"

Dr. Teleshov sighed and scooted closer, leaning forward on his elbows as they rested atop his knees. "I thought if I did that, not only could you subconsciously benefit from hearing a bit of personal and professional advice, but I thought perhaps you would be able to figure out that we are more connected than you might think."

Seto smirked softly and raised an eyebrow. Leaning back into the couch, he replied, "You broke one of your own rules, Doctor. You always daunted on the fact that you held up the law and your own honor one hundred percent of the time, but by having those more sensitive talks with me regardless of the reasoning behind it, you potentially put your career on the line."

Dr. Teleshov's face turned solemn and he rubbed the stubble on his chin. "That I did." He reconnected his gaze to Seto's and the corner of his mouth flew up. "However, by realizing that a ragged older man such as myself does not have more than another three decades of life*, I decided to stretch my own boundaries a little bit, to momentarily cease to be a…" His forehead scrunched into fine lines as he thought intently. "…stick in the mud, as you Americans say."

Seto shook his head and switched the position of his legs. "What if I had told someone about our more sensitive sessions and you had gotten in trouble?"

"It would have been worth it, Mister Kaiba." Seto's ears mistook Dr. Teleshov's statement to be sarcastic, but once he got a look into his doctor's eyes he saw that he was completely serious.

"What makes you say that?" Seto asked, the conversation distracting his attention from his headache.

Dr. Teleshov scooted himself even closer to Seto, now only separated by half of a couch cushion. "Because of you, Ryou is happier then I've ever seen him before. And because of Ryou, _you_ are doing exceedingly greater now than any amount or variation of pills I could have prescribed to you would have done. I consider those facts to be of greater value then the rest of my career. Besides, if something had happened to my job, I could make it by just fine."

Seto blinked, his attention still fully on Dr. Teleshov. He paused for a second, and then opened his mouth to give him a proper response.

"Seto, you can go back upstairs now if you'd like. I know that Ryou would really enjoy your company again." Michael interrupted from behind.

Seto turned and looked at him, nodding in agreement. He glanced back at Dr. Teleshov before replying, "Of course." Standing up, he kept his gaze averted from Michael and headed toward the staircase.

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Joey glanced over his shoulder and saw that the sun would be setting soon. He inhaled the late spring air deep into his lungs and then stared up at the apartment building that stood a block in the distance, picking up his pace to get there as soon as he could.

_God, Ryou, I'm sorry that I haven't visited you in over two weeks, but…I couldn't leave my house. _

He winced as a passerby brushed against his shoulder, their body causing the fresh bruises that covered his right side to give off a warm burning sensation.

_Hell, I __**tried**__ to, but that bastard refused. That leash he keeps me on seems to be getting shorter every fucking day. I'm afraid that soon he's going to choke me with it, or worse, kill me._

Joey shook off the pain and continued on his way. Looking up from the ground a few seconds later, he spied a familiar looking black Corvette parked near the front entrance of Ryou's segment of the building, and he brought his gaze down to get a look at the license plates.

_That lettering…that's Kaiba's car! _Joey's eyes grew large, and he stopped dead in his tracks at the nose of the dark vehicle.

_Oh, this is just fantastic. _He thought, sighing heavily. He lifted his head and glanced to the side of the building. _I don't want to be there while Seto is, but at the same time I really just want to see Ryou. All I want to know is that he's still doing okay._

Joey peered down the narrow alleyway and spied a set of iron stairs that served as an emergency fire engine, and his eyebrow crept up as an idea surfaced in his mind.

_I'll just climb up the fire escape and get a quick look at Ryou's condition. _He decided to himself as he jogged over to a large crate that sat underneath the stairs and climbed onto the wooden box, stretching his arms into the air and pulling his body up onto the second story platform. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, he quietly walked up another segment of the stairs and paused just next to Ryou's bedroom window, reminding himself that if he was going to remain undetected he had to be still and quiet from here on in.

He knelt down near the glass and inched his neck forward, gazing into the window. As expected, Joey found both Seto and Ryou inside, the latter of which was seated upright in his bed and enveloped in the long arms of the former. He squinted and leaned a bit closer to the glass, noticing how gently Seto's embrace was around Ryou. Glancing up a bit, he was somewhat shocked to find that a soft and caring gleam was plastered onto Seto's face, and even more surprising was the notion that his feelings towards Ryou appeared to be quite genuine. It was in that one glance at Seto that pierced Joey like a dagger to the heart, and at that precise moment he became fully aware that Seto was indeed the perfect person for Ryou to have, and Joey knew he would have to give up his romantic pursuits and let them both go.

He turned his head down and glanced through the iron grating below his feet, looking all the way down to the ground three stories below. Part of him hoped that the Earth would show him a bit of mercy and open its jaws and swallow him into the dirt underneath, allowing him a quick and painless slip into nonexistence. At the same time, Joey realized that would be too easy of a death, and his mind soon wandered off of that thought. He hated anything that was too simple or cowardly, and what he had just considered qualified as both.

With a mournful yet satisfied air about him, he lifted his head up once more and watched as Ryou pulled his head back and allowed Seto to lean in and give him a soft kiss. A tear that was produced by bittersweet emotions cascaded down Joey's cheek, and he released a trembling sigh.

_Well, I guess this is the final scene for us, Seto._ He thought with a gentle ache in his heart. _You've taught me so much in these past couple of years, about life, about change, about pain and determination…and for all of that I have to thank you. _

He shook his head and the tear flew off, only to be replaced by another one a few moments later.

_I'll never forget you…I'll never forget __**us**__, Seto…the way that we were, and the way that we are now and how it has to be._

Joey fought back a sniffle, and brushed away the remaining tear. He stared in at the back of Ryou's head, noticing for the first time how much bonier his neck seemed to be.

_Ryou, I hope to God that you get better and beat the hell out of this cancer that has clung to your body like a parasite for all this time. The very last thing you deserve is to die such a brutal and unnatural death. Oh, but I know you won't be alone…you've got a wonderful father and a boyfriend that has finally begun to right his wrongs and take full control of himself. With both of them at your side, there's no way you will be lonely, through life or in death. _Joey forced himself to stifle a sob and bite down on his lip, commanding himself to remain silent. _Even though I wish I could have been more then a friend to you, I will always treasure our friendship and the times we have been able to share. _Feeling confident about how far Seto and Ryou were from the window, he gently placed his hand on the window and breathed onto the glass, his face encircled by the moisture from his breath.

"I love you…" He whispered. "I love you both, indefinitely."

Without a second thought or glance into the room, Joey brought himself to his feet and began his descent down the stairs.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seto thought he had seen a puff of blonde hair, and he glanced up at the window. He could have sworn he heard a set of heavy footsteps making their way down the fire escape, and his eyes remained locked on the fresh handprint that someone had just created on the outer pane. Even as he pulled Ryou into a deeper embrace, he couldn't help but wonder what their unexpected guest would have said if he had been given the proper chance.

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Joey didn't stop running until he reached the beachfront, the sun now painting the sky with its vibrant orange hues; the giant star itself halfway covered by the distant horizon. Upon setting foot onto the soft sand, his paced reduced to a walk, but it took his heart a little longer then that to slow its beat. Slowly but with a silent passion he strolled the small and empty beach, staring out into the fog that he saw rolling off of the pulsating waves. He glanced over at a set of rocks, spying them to already be halfway covered by the thick grey and white vapor.

Joey suddenly shivered, a cold tingle gliding down his spine. The air that surrounded him was not cold, although the temperature had nothing to do with his tremor. He sensed another presence nearby, and he whipped around to face the other person. As he glanced around the vacant beach, he still felt the other presence tugging at his spirit, as though someone that had been there long ago wanted him to see something. Joey rotated his stance, captivated by this unexpected sensation that had seemed to appear out of nowhere. It had a heavy and mournful feel to it, almost as though someone had died there and was still kept hostage by their watery grave. He felt it calling out to him, beckoning him closer to the waves, and in voluntary obedience he stepped forward.

_What the hell is going on?_ He wondered, not seeing anything out of the ordinary around him. Even still, he sensed the surrounding spirit to be pulling him out towards the open ocean, but he took a step back out of insecurity.

_What is it that you want me to see?! _He mentally cried out to the spirit, instantly feeling his head being pulled towards the Northern end of the horizon. As he squinted in that direction, he almost thought that he could see the faint outline of a castle, the gloomy shadow of which illuminated the idea that there were more worlds and societies on the Earth than the human mind could comprehend.

_Do I really see a castle North of New York?! _Joey wondered to himself in jest. He sensed the other presence lift off of him like a cloak and float away into the distance, taking with it some of his heartache.

_I guess that was what you wanted me to see. But why? What's so significant about a distant castle? _He pondered, slipping down to his knees and sinking into the sand. Releasing a sigh and rubbing his eyes, he sat himself down and placed his chin on his arm, which were crossed and lying over his kneecaps. He felt a slight breeze drift off of the ocean and onto his face, the salt seeming to kiss his skin. The whole ambiance of it left him feeling rather at peace, although there were still a few thoughts that haunted him.

_I think that if things like this keep on happening, I just might go crazy. _Joey laughed to himself, the spirit that had been there forcing him to make a self discovery.

_You know, romantic love would be too stressful for me to handle at this point in my life, and more stress is the last thing that I need. The thing that I honestly wish for is paternal love and support, like a father. I'd give just about anything to have a real father, one that I can talk to and even have cook __**me**__ dinner instead of me always creating the meals. _He licked his lips and grinned. _And they'd all be actual meals, not cheap frozen dinners that go into the microwave for two minutes!_ Joey nodded, realizing that the sun was no longer visible and the sky was darkening into a shade of navy. _As wonderful as being with Seto was, I'd just love to have a father._

He leaned back onto the soft sand and let his eyes slide shut, the horns from some boats far out to sea reverberating in his mind with the possibility of a new beginning. As he relaxed for the first time in months, the silver moon above him glimmered down on his body almost to remind him that if he looked hard enough he would always find the support that he needed.

Before he knew what was happening, Joey had fallen asleep on the secluded beachfront, the waves gently bumping against his shoes. Nobody saw him drift off into a much needed rest but the sea gulls that were drifting off into the distance, but at that moment it was all that he needed.

There was still one final problem that had not found its solution, however, and he was hiding within the darkness of a building a few blocks away with a wicked gleam in his eyes and a beer bottle in his hand.

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	19. Circular Reasoning

Alright you guys, here it is...the chapter before the last! I spent **so** much time writing this portion of the story. I wanted it to be just right!

As always, **please review and enjoy!**

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_Chapter Eighteen_

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Joey tossed and turned on the warm sandy beach, the risen sun and the nearby traffic noises dragging him out of his sleep. He stretched his hands forward and rubbed the sand out of his face, yawning as he did so. Then he blinked and squinted up at the sky, slowly pulling his body up into a cross-legged position.

_Wow, what a night. I think that was the best sleep I've gotten in over a year!_ He thought to himself, moving his hands to pull off a set of sheets that were not there.

_What? Where are my sheets…_ Joey's eyes blinked rapidly. _Wait a minute, I'm not in my bed. _His heart began to race. _Oh, shit. My dad is not going to be happy that I spent the night on the beach! _He leapt to his feet and started to sprint, glancing down at his watch in hopes that it was early enough for his dad to still be passed out.

_It's already seven forty five? Aw, fuck! He's probably been awake for an hour already!_ Joey cursed under his breath as he dodged an oncoming flow of pedestrians, careful to not run into anyone or anything that was in his path. His breathing grew heavy as he ran down the ninth block, and he could see his building just at the end of the tenth. His feet flew up the stairs to his front door, and although he needed to catch his breath he simply tore out his entry key and slammed it into the slot, opening the door moments later. Trying to keep his breaths quiet, he slowly shut the door behind himself and sighed with relief.

_I made it back quickly at least._ Joey reasoned to himself, turning the lock on the door.

"You sure are home late." A voice from behind Joey boomed, startling him. He cautiously turned in its direction, and came face to face with his father.

He swallowed dryly, bracing himself against the hard back of the door.

"Or should I say early?" His father remarked, ripping the cap off of a beer bottle with his hand and chucking it to the side. He gulped half of it down, a satisfactory look on his face as he examined the brown glass. Looking up, he stared at Joey head on before taking a few long and paced strides in his direction. He stopped a foot away from his son and cracked his knuckles on the side of the bottle.

"It's almost time for school," He muttered, his alcoholic breath stinging in Joey's nostrils. "Wouldn't want you to be late or nothin', so I'll make this real quick and easy." Before Joey could even see what was happening, his father raised his fist high into the air and smashed it down onto the side of Joey's face, knocking him to the ground with a crack and forcing blood out of his mouth and nose.

Joey held back a scream, all of the pleasant feelings that had been in his spirit crumbling into pieces within seconds of the swing. His father stood motionless, watching him writhe in a silent pain on the cold floor as he clutched his jaw and stared down at the two teeth that he had lost as a result of the blow.

"Now clean yourself off and go to school." He commanded, finishing off his bottle and tossing it at Joey's feet. "And throw that shit in the garbage as you leave."

Joey gently removed his hand from his cheek, feeling blood dripping down from his mouth as he pulled his hand away. He shook his head and gazed at the teeth he no longer had. "Why do you always do this?" Joey asked in a hushed voice, only half hoping that his father would hear him.

His dad glanced up at him, and he could feel the heat of his stare baking into his flesh. "What the hell did you say?"

Joey's hand began to tremble, for he knew it was too late now. Inhaling through his tender nose, he repeated a little louder, "Why do you always beat me?"

His dad took two thunderous steps forward and crossed his arms. Tilting his head to the side, a mischievously evil grin spread across his face and he beared his teeth. "For starters, you're nothin' more then a worthless piece of shit."

Not much to Joey's surprise, his words weren't nearly as painful as the two fresh holes in his mouth; he had grown calloused to his insults. He propped his hands against the wall and pulled himself up, groaning quietly as he did so. Although it took everything in him, Joey turned his head and gazed into the black eyes of his father, the broken pieces of his soul bonding together over mutual hatred of the man that stood before him.

"I'm fucking sick of this!" Joey exclaimed. His father's eyebrow rose in surprise, then he chucked another empty bottle at Joey's legs, causing him to shake and nearly fall over upon its impact.

"You better watch your fucking mouth, son." He hissed, pointing a long finger at him. "I was in a damn good mood until you snuck in that door!"

"Don't call me that!" Joey cried back. "You don't deserve to call me that!"

His father stomped forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him close to his alcohol scented face. With a wicked stare in his eyes, he sneered and muttered, "I can call you whatever the hell I want to. Besides," He added, his sickening smile once again revealing his almost brown teeth. "You _belong_ to me. I have the legal papers to prove it."

His eyes quickly skimmed over Joey's thin body, and he shrugged before tossing him into the door. "You're not worth the time to discipline." He mumbled to himself, turning and heading back to the living room.

Joey stood motionless for a moment, feelings of once suppressed rage now freely coursing through his veins like water in a river rapid. In an instant he was bent over and had grabbed the empty bottles that had lain at his feet and he was heading towards his bastard of a father. Almost like a slingshot, he pulled his arms out to the side and swung them forward, the glass shattering onto the middle of his back. He roared in a painful surprise and bent over, several uttered curse words escaping his lips.

Joey stood in shock, unaware that he had enough strength to cause his dad any grief. He smirked in satisfaction and threw the remaining chards of glass at the base of his feet.

Just when he thought it would be safe to turn and run for his life out the door, his dad swung around with a newfound gleam of hatred sewn onto his face. "Let me wipe that smile off of your goddamned face!" He screamed, raising both of his fists into the air and pummeling the down onto Joey's face multiple times, calling his son all sorts of unrepeatable things as he did so. Although he tried his best to fight back, Joey's swings were to no avail, for his father was much larger and brawnier then he was. Blood and cries of mercy were flying out of Joey, and with each punch that he received he felt himself inching closer and closer towards Death's door. With each swing of his steel arm, more and more of his blood was being knocked out of his body; several splotches and streaks of it had now painted the doorway red. Even the blonde hair on Joey's head was heavily saturated with the liquid, and his entire upper half was nearly drenched in his own blood as well as a little of his father's.

Breathing heavily, Joey's dad took a step back. His arms were speckled and trembling slightly, having released all of their fury onto the boy who now sat slumped against the wall, patches of his skin on his face torn and swollen straight from the bone. His father wiped some drops of sweat off of his face, staring down at his dazed son. Chuckling, he bent over to get a closer look at him. "Don't worry, you won't be worthless for long, son." He said, ruffling some of the blood down deeper into his scalp. "I've got something big planned for you." He breathed onto Joey, who remained motionless against the reddened wall. "After all of these years, you'll finally be worth something," He added, another terrible smile growing on his face. "But not necessarily to me."

He placed his arms underneath Joey's and pulled him to his feet. Yanking a handkerchief out of his pocket, he quickly swiped it once across his son's face, removing a portion of the blood.

"There you go, can't have you lookin' too banged up for school." He remarked, tossing the cloth to the side. He reached forward and twisted the handle on the door, opening it and taking one drunken step outside with Joey still rather limp in his grip. "Damn it, stand up on your own!" He whispered harshly to him. Joey mumbled quietly and straightened himself as best as he could, barely able to support his full weight.

"Now git goin' to school!" He snapped, brushing past him and going back into the apartment.

Joey stood swaying gently back and forth for a few moments, more so out of pain then shock. _I shouldn't have survived that._ He realized, squinting through his blackened eyes while shakily limping down the three stairs to the rather empty sidewalk. Although he felt the need to cry, he was too banged up to produce tears, and so his eyes remained moist by the drops of blood that wandered in.

_Maybe this is worse than death ever could be._ He thought, everything around him becoming darker.

_Maybe this is how it was supposed to happen_. He wondered. Unable to take another step, he collapsed onto the pavement with a thud. Nearly seconds after he hit the concrete, he was out like water to a flame, barely breathing and clinging to life by a frayed thread.

- - - - -

"I fucking hate construction detours." Seto mumbled to himself as his driver turned down a narrow street. He glanced out the window and watched as they slowly passed by several beat up apartment buildings, each one seeming older and more ragged then the previous.

_Especially when there's nothing to see._ He added in his mind, folding his arms and searching for something to hold his interest. His eyes skimmed over a bloodied man sprawled out face down on the sidewalk, and he shrugged. However, something about the person made Seto give them a second glance, and suddenly he realized why.

"Fuck! That was Joey!" He shouted, his eyes growing larger by the second. "Pull over and call an ambulance!" His driver slammed on the breaks and jerked the car by the sidewalk. Seto flew out of the car, but he froze in his tracks once he saw just how much blood there was surrounding and covering Joey.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed, forcing himself to take a couple steps closer and bend down just close enough to be within touching distance of him. Seto's mind was being stirred with several ideas of what might have happened to him, but he couldn't quite grasp any of them.

_What the hell happened to you?! _He thought, his arm involuntarily stretching forward to check for a pulse. Feeling a faint beat, he became somewhat relieved to at least know that Joey was still alive.

"Hold on, Wheeler," Seto mumbled. He turned his head and gazed at his driver, who had just shut his phone and nodded anxiously.

"The ambulance should be here in less than two minutes." He replied. Seto grumbled and glanced back down at Joey, tempted to put his fingers on his shoulder and lightly tap him to see if he would respond. Instead, he decided on bending a little closer and asking, "Can you hear me?!" He watched and waited for any sign of response, but there was none. His eyes glazed over and his ears rang with the sound of the sirens, and as one EMT pulled him back onto his feet and away from Joey's motionless body he began to fear the worst. At least a dozen other paramedics had swarmed Joey's body and were either swiftly but gently moving him onto a gurney or were busy assisting the police in blocking off the entire street. Seto silently watched all the mayhem unfold, his body undergoing emotional trauma and trembling slightly from the shock of all he had seen. He heard one of the paramedics shout to another that Joey seemed to be in a coma, and Seto's heart froze for a few beats. He hung his head and breathed deep, shaking breaths, hoping that somehow Joey would just pull through.

- - - - -

The next two weeks ticked by for Seto, and as he watched and waited in anticipation as Ryou improved he also kept an eye on Joey, thinking that soon he might break out of his coma. He had faithfully gone to the hospital and visited him every day for at least an hour, partially because he still saw him as a friend, and partially because he knew that by talking to a coma patient his chances of pulling out were greatly increased.

Today marked his fourteenth visit, and Seto rubbed his forehead as he took a seat in the all too familiar chair. He glanced up at Joey, who still remained motionless on the plain white bed. The sheets were pulled up high on his body, and his scabbed arms lay perfectly flat on either side of him. The wounds on his face had gotten a chance to close up, and the spots where the doctors had needed to stitch shut were now just raised scars. There were only two small places along the line of his jaw where chunks of flesh had been scraped off of his bone, and earlier that week the surgeons had performed a few skin graphs which also seemed to be healing and blending nicely with the surrounding tissue. Seto had been told that if Joey could just make it out of the coma, he would be looking at a full recovery.

"Damn it, Wheeler. Get yourself out of this coma so we can know how you got to be like this." Seto said harshly, crossing his legs and exhaling through his nostrils.

"I know you aren't a pussy." Seto added. "So I know that you wouldn't want it to end like this." He leaned forward slightly and let his eyes wander over Joey's still body. "Dying while in a coma isn't exactly the most valiant way to go." He watched Joey closely, knowing that the slightest movement could mean everything.

"Don't take the easy way out." Seto whispered, letting his gaze momentarily drop to the floor. "Don't let whoever did this to you get away with it. You can't give them what they want."

Seto heard a soft groan and his attention snapped up. His eyes glued to Joey's face, and he thought he saw his lips move.

"Wheeler?" Seto said in question, moving further onto the edge of his seat. "If you can hear me, groan again."

He kept perfectly still and silent, and sure enough there was a second but more strained groan. Watching for a while longer, he witnessed Joey curl all of his fingers into two fists and raise them into the air, his eyes still shut.

"Come back here for more, you bastard." Joey muttered. He then licked his lips and gently swung his arms around in soft circles, his face now twisting into a disgusted expression.

Seto heard himself gasp and felt the corner of his mouth lift up in surprise. He pulled himself to his feet and walked right up to Joey's bedside, observing him swing multiple times at whomever he saw in his mind.

"Who's the bastard?" Seto asked.

Joey muttered something incoherent and continued throwing his fists into the air. Seto sighed. "I should get the doctor and tell him that you're awake now." Just as he began heading out the door, he heard a voice call out from behind.

"Where am I?"

Seto paused and turned back around, spying Joey's fists to be uncurling and dropping back down to his sides. His blinks were long and heavy, and he moved as though he were many years older.

"You're in the hospital, Wheeler." Seto replied, heading back to his bedside. Joey tilted his head slowly, his eyes attempting to follow Seto's quick movements. Groaning, he raised one hand and dug at his eye. "If I'm…in the hospital…does this mean that…my father's in prison?"

Seto furrowed his brow. "Why would you ask that?"

Joey licked his dry lips and sighed. "I'll…have to take that as a _no_."

Seto cocked his head somewhat and bent down a little closer to Joey. "Why would you think that he would be in jail?"

Joey pulled one eye open and stared long and hard at Seto, the intensity unwavering. "Well…he drinks his body weight in alcohol…every damned day…and takes these…_imaginary_ problems of his…" He glanced down for a brief second. "…out on _me._" His gaze wandered everywhere possible before back onto Seto, and then he added, "This last beating…must've…must've been quite intense...for me to land up here."

Seto's eyes grew large, and his lips pursed together firmly. He saw Joey's open eye slide shut, and heard him mutter something incomprehensible. Seto glanced over towards the door, knowing that he should have brought the doctor in right away. Resolving to get him in a moment, Seto asked, "How long had he been abusing you for, and how frequently would he harm you?"

An extremely slight smile showed up on Joey's face, but Seto could tell it was produced out of sheer pain. "A few months before us…and as common as night and day." He whispered.

Seto could have mentally killed himself as feelings of guilt showered over him.

_Before we were even together, this was going on? And you never fucking __**told**__ me?! Even worse still, I never even noticed. What kind of a person am I, anyways?_ Seto asked himself as he dashed to the doorway and pressed the doctor's call button.

- - - - -

Ryou smiled up at his uncle, who looked happier than usual.

"I have excellent news for you, _matryoshka!"_ Dr. Teleshov exclaimed.

Ryou nodded, eager to hear it. "What's that?"

Dr. Teleshov placed his hand on top of Ryou's and he continued, "I have been talking with the doctor who monitors your daily conditions and makes sure that you are given the proper amounts of the medicines you need, and he has told me that you have improved dramatically over these past two weeks!" His eyes shimmered even through his glasses, and he added, "The doctor is very surprised but pleased with this, but the fact of the matter is that he has set you up for a bone marrow transplant."

Ryou's jaw dropped, and his free hand flew up to cover it. "Oh my god…that _is_ fantastic! When will I be able to have the surgery?"

Dr. Teleshov paused, and then replied, "They are thinking in about one week…right around the time your friend Joey will be released."

The excitement on Ryou's face faded into concern. "Why was he in the hospital?"

Dr. Teleshov sighed and moved closer, slightly squeezing his nephew's hand.

"I'm sorry I did not tell you earlier. I did not want you to have too much on your plate."

Ryou shook his head slowly. "Well then, tell me now."

Dr. Teleshov glanced off to the side as if searching for a response. "About two weeks ago, Seto found Joey outside of his apartment building. He was face down in his own blood, and the doctors said that he was in a coma. Just this morning he pulled out of it and was able to say how he ended up where he did."

Ryou seemed frightened for his friend. "How?"

Dr. Teleshov released an uncomfortable sigh. "Apparently his father is a raging alcoholic who loves the drink as much as abusing his own son."

Ryou's gaze fell, and he was quiet for several moments. "That's horrible…I don't understand why anyone would want to hurt somebody like Joey." He said quietly. "He's so friendly and kind. In fact, if it weren't for him I wouldn't have had anybody to talk to on the first day of school."

Dr. Teleshov seemed surprised. "Seto was not the first person you met?"

Ryou shook his head. "No, Joey was. He walked right up to me and introduced himself. He was the first and only person to do that to me…plus he was part of the reason why Seto and I got to meet at all."

Dr. Teleshov nodded, seeming to be soaking up every word. "Is that so…well all this time I had been thinking that Seto would have been the first person you met, but on second thought he is not the type to just introduce himself in a friendly manner."

"Sadly, no." Ryou replied.

Dr. Teleshov watched as his nephew's eyes grew moist, and he leaned in closer to him. "I would not worry so much about them, Ryou. I am certain that Seto will be a great help to Joey."

Ryou glanced up at his concerned uncle. "Yeah, he will be. But is his dad going to jail?"

Dr. Teleshov nodded. "Of course."

"Then who will take care of him?"

"I imagine another family member will come and take that position."

"Oh." Ryou said. _He doesn't have any other family…_

- - - - -

_I'm unwanted._ Joey thought to himself as he gazed up at the black and white calendar a nurse had printed up for him. Written out in handwriting only a doctor could possess were the dates when he had first arrived all the way to the final day he would be allowed to remain in the hospital, and he knew that day was fast approaching.

_If somebody doesn't come and take custody claims over me within the next eleven days, I'll be placed in some foster home that the state picks out for me._

Joey shuddered. _Who knows what sort of family I could end up in?! Just the thought of it makes me-_

"Are you Joey Wheeler?" A voice asked from the door. Joey turned his head to look at who was there, and he saw a balding man in his mid forties wearing glasses and carrying a fancy leather briefcase. He sighed and dropped his head back down to the pillow.

"Are you a social worker?" Joey muttered in disgust.

The man laughed and took a few steps in. "Not at all, Joey." He stopped at the side of his bed and smiled. "I am Ryou's uncle, Dr. Nicolai Teleshov."

Joey blinked in surprise, and the man held out his hand. "I heard from Seto about your condition, and once Ryou told me that you were one of his good friends I decided to come and pay you a visit."

Joey glanced over the doctor and shrugged. "That's nice, but I still don't understand why you would take the time out of your day to come and see me."

Dr. Teleshov set his briefcase on top of a nearby table and glanced around the room. "Because it is a kind thing to do." He replied, sauntering over to the whiteboard where Joey's calendar was taped. "So have you thought about how you will catch up on all your missed school work?"

Joey shook his head. "No."

Dr. Teleshov inspected the piece of paper, tracing the tip of his finger over the small line drawn across the following week. "Do you know which one of your family members will be coming to get you?"

Joey cringed and turned his head away. "Everyone else is dead. All I had left was my dick of a dad." He said in a harsh tone.

Dr. Teleshov glanced at him. "Dead? I am sorry to hear that."

_Yeah, sure. That's what everyone else says._ Joey thought. Eager to change the subject, he asked, "Ryou is really your nephew?"

There was a pause of silence before Dr. Teleshov answered. "Yes, actually he is the main reason why I came here today."

Joey shifted and sat up straighter. "Okay, what about him?"

Dr. Teleshov walked over to a chair and pulled it to Joey's bedside, seating himself a second later. He crossed his legs and rested his folded hands on his knee. "Well, you see, Ryou has never had an easy time in schools. From his appearance alone he is able to attract all sorts of negative people, such as perverts or bullies. It is because of those people that he has always been switching from one school to another, sometimes even in the middle of the year."

Joey nodded softly. _Yeah, I can imagine. He's got such a pretty soft face and delicate frame._

Dr. Teleshov cleared his throat. "However, he told me that this last high school has been a different experience. He told me that on his very first day you approached him with honest intentions to become his friend, and that you never let anybody pick on him. For that, I came here to thank you."

A soft laugh escaped Joey's lips. "You're welcome."

Dr. Teleshov nodded appreciatively and stood up, heading over towards his briefcase. "Yes, well, there is one more thing." He clicked it open and shuffled through some folders, finally deciding on one large beige one and lifting it out. He brought it over to Joey and gently laid it next to him. Pulling out a pen, he set it on top of the file and breathed almost meditatively.

"I would like to extend an invitation to you, Joey."

Joey stared down at the folder and then glanced up at Dr. Teleshov. "Like what?"

"Since you were so willing to open your arms to Ryou and give him a genuine and lasting welcome in the school, I am offering to open up my home and take you in." He tapped twice on the file, and continued, "You are welcome to live with me as long as need be, and I would be willing to become your legal guardian." He smiled down at Joey with the affection that only a person who truly cared about his well being would have, and added, "I want to repay the kindness that you showed to Ryou when he first came to the school. Besides, this may sound selfish, but I would love to have a son again. That is, if you would want us to have that sort of relationship to each other."

Joey wasn't sure if he was still breathing, but he knew that he had stopped blinking. His eyes were growing wet with tears, and he could feel a sob erupting deep within his throat. Biting down forcefully on his lip, he choked out a cry and buried his face in his hands. He began to shake as the internal bottle that had harvested all of his tears shattered into nothing, and he cried heavily into his palms. He felt Dr. Teleshov's warm hands rub across his back, and that tender movement only made him weep that much harder.

_He certainly has the touch of a father._ Joey thought, letting his body lean into his strong arms.

"Let it all out. Do not try to hold anymore of that pain inside." He said softly, wrapping his other arm around Joey's shoulder.

The feelings that came inside him were not like anything he had ever known before. He felt as good as when he had been with Seto, but now it felt a thousand times stronger. In between sobs, Joey smiled to himself, finally getting to know what the embrace of a caring person could feel like.

"I can't even tell you how much this means to me." He said in a broken voice, still crying into the fabric on Dr. Teleshov's shoulder.

Dr. Teleshov rested his face against Joey's hair, breathing in the scent of who would soon be his child. "I can only imagine, Joey. I can only imagine."

- - - - -

Seto felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he quickly tugged it out. Flipping it open, he saw that he had just missed a call from Dr. Teleshov.

"Shit." He muttered, watching the screen to see if he would leave a voice message. A few moments later a red envelope appeared in the corner, and Seto speed dialed to his voice mailbox.

"_Hello, Mister Kaiba. I am very glad that you did not answer this call, because what I need to tell you can only be done privately in person. However, I am able to tell you this much-"_

There was a brief pause.

"_Your life is in danger. Please, be careful whenever you are walking the streets, and especially when you are alone in your office. This is not a joke, Mister Kaiba. You must take this seriously. You never know when they might reappear and try to control your life again, or worse, take it right from under you. In order for me to disclose further, more sensitive information, we must meet and talk while within the walls of my home. It is there that I can reveal to you all of the information in the world. I know that right now your only concern is that Ryou's bone marrow transplant works, so our meeting will have to wait until the day after his surgery has been completed. In the meantime, Mister Kaiba, watch your back. I am certain that if you do not, there are others who will, but __**not**__ with their eyes."_

The rest of his words were smothered out by static, and after a few clicks the message had ended.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yes, I know I ended this chapter with a cliffhanger...but that's because I want you to be eager to read the last chapter! Which will be posted just as soon as I finish writing it and checking it over a hundred times...meanwhile, you can review and add me to Author Alert. That way once I put up the prologue to the sequel, you can easily access it. Only if you want to, though. I don't like making people do things that they'd rather not.


	20. The End of the Beginning

I have a strange blend of emotions as I post this final chapter of my story which I have worked so long and hard on. I am happy that it is over and that I can now work on my sequel (to which the prologue is posted below) but at the same time I had so much fun spending time thinking up and writing this story.

**Please review! This is the final chapter of the story, and I would love to hear what you thought of it. Thanks in advance!**

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_Chapter Nineteen_

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Seto found himself running through the hospital so quickly that all of the people and objects that he passed by were simple blurs, even some of the patients in the hallway he had disregarded and blazed his way past. Only moments before he had broken into full speed had he been notified that Ryou's bone marrow transplant was complete, and now he had every intention of getting by his side as fast as possible.

As he rounded the final corner and flew into Ryou's recovery room, he felt his heart stop. With eager eyes he glanced over the entire space, finding it to be completely empty. He gritted his teeth and smacked his hand against the wall, turning around and storming down the hall. Grabbing a nearby doctor by the collar, he shook him slightly and shouted, "Where the hell is Ryou?!"

With wide eyes and a slight tremble, the doctor informed Seto that he had gone home with his father only a few minutes before he had arrived. Instantly Seto released the man from his grip and took off once more, a few people he dashed past shouting at him to slow down. He didn't even hear their shouts of protest, for all he cared about was getting to Ryou and hearing that everything had worked according to plan. Seto screamed at his driver to go faster, and the louder he made his voice the harder he pressed down on the gas pedal. In half the time it usually took to get to Ryou's apartment building, Seto had arrived. Leaving his frazzled driver in the front seat, Seto tore out of the car and almost jumped up the flight of stairs to his front door, knocking in it firmly.

"Ryou!" He called, the door opening up a second later. Michael had to dodge Seto's knocking fist, and even though he greeted Seto, he brushed past him and bolted up the stairs, finding Ryou's bedroom door to be open ajar. As he shoved it out of his way, he began to catch his breath, for standing across the room next to an open window he saw Ryou leaning against the wall. He looked up the moment he heard all of the commotion, and a huge smile stretched across his face as he caught Seto's gaze.

"Seto!" He cried out, opening his arms as Seto wrapped his own around Ryou's body. They stood there for several minutes, holding each other firmly and smothering one another's lips in passionate kisses. Needing to take a breath, Ryou pulled his head back and said, "I was wondering when you were going to show up!"

Seto's hungry eyes skimmed over Ryou's body. He appeared to have gained a little weight, his cheeks now seeming less sunken in. The color of his skin was still pale, but had more color and life in it then Seto had recalled it having the last time. The hair on his head was the same, about half of it gone, but that didn't stop Seto from breathing a deep sigh of relief and permitting himself to smile.

"I was worried about you," He said, brushing his fingers against Ryou's cheek. Ryou's eyes widened fully, and a moment later his signature grin lit up his whole person.

"Seto, it worked. It all worked. I'm cancer free!"

At that moment in time, Seto was so filled with happiness that he thought he was going to burst. He was delighted by the fact that the surgery had cured his Ryou of that dreadful disease, and he grinned at the thought that soon he would be back to his normal appearance. All the same though, the fact that he no longer had to worry about Ryou's health caused him to remember the fact that he did not know the truth, and it suddenly felt like the huge load of whether or not Ryou would live was replaced by the thought that he still might lose him once he knew just what his past contained.

Seto took a deep breath and lead Ryou over to the bed, both of them sitting down on its side. Ryou looked at Seto questioningly and shook his head, the smile on his face unwavering in size. "Is something wrong?"

Seto glanced away for a second, unable to look Ryou directly in the eye. He knew the time had come for him to confess everything to him, even though it held the chance that Ryou would be deeply upset. "There are things about me that you really should know. You deserve to know the truth…" He began. Ryou scooted closer and took Seto's hand in his. "Alright then, I'm listening."

Even though it was the hardest thing Seto could ever think of doing, he began to rip the scabs off of his inner wounds and started to spill everything. He started off where most confessions do, with the beginning, where he had first encountered what it felt like to use cocaine. He painstakingly put into words just how empty and bland his life had been before he had met either Ryou or Joey, and he fought back the urge to punch himself as he told about the horrible thing he had done to Joey when they had been together as a couple. Then he went on to talk about his younger brother and just how much he loved him, and how it had torn his heart in half when the courts had ruled him unfit to care for or even see him for the next few years. That was when he explained to Ryou all about Dr. Teleshov and how he had been there to counsel Seto for all of that time, and that if it hadn't been for his uncle he would have probably overdosed the moment he had gotten the chance. He choked out how it had killed him to not only watch himself fall to pieces, but the entire relationship that he had with Joey vanished with that slice of his knife. Seto watched tears flood Ryou's eyes, but he knew that his confession was not over yet. There was a brief pause before Seto was able to find the right words to describe how he felt the moment he had laid eyes on Ryou, and then he found a small tear escaping his eye as he told about how frightened he had been once he had found out about Ryou's leukemia. He forced himself to tell about how he had gone into the cancer ward and come face to face with dozens of people on the verge of death, and that their images had haunted his mind and made him crash back down onto his silver tipped solution. He turned his head away as he told Ryou about how unbearable the thought of losing him had become, and that the only thing that caused him to forget and feel no inner pain had been his drugs. However, he explained, he had come to realize that he loved and cared for Ryou more then anything else, and that he had literally dragged himself off into rehab and that as he was explaining all of this, the present day marked the third week of his cleansing.

For the first time, Seto's appearance showed all of the emotions and pain that a scarred human would have, and the barriers that he had been hiding himself inside of had been completely destroyed. Although Ryou felt hurt beyond words at finding out the things that Seto had been keeping from him, he was also shocked and rather pleased that Seto trusted and cared for him enough to break down into nothing more then a person who had been severely haunted by his past.

There was a moment of painful silence as the two boys simply sat in the tense air and let the exchanged words sink in. Seto had pulled his hand away and had his eyes elsewhere, for he felt like complete shit after having to put the knowledge of his past on Ryou. Finally Ryou reached out and grabbed Seto's hand again, gently squeezing it. He did not hold it back, though, for he didn't feel like he had earned the right to.

"I'm only half the man I thought I would be." Seto muttered through his teeth.

Even though Ryou's cheeks were heavily saturated by tears, a small smile managed to emerge onto his face. "Seto, you may think you're only half the man that you thought you would become, but I think you're twice the man I'll ever need." He shook his head and tenderly placed his fingers on Seto's cheek. "I don't mind your tainted past, Seto. It's the past, after all. It's over." He sniffled. "All that matters now is that you were willing to come clean." Like Déjà vu, Ryou pulled Seto's head back so that they were looking eye to eye, and as their gazes locked in place Seto could see just how tender and loving Ryou really was, and it caused his heart to melt.

"That makes me love you even more, Seto." Ryou finished. Seto glanced down at their hands and lightly squeezed his in return. Ryou tugged on Seto's arm, motioning for him to lie down on the bed. Seto complied and slowly brought himself down, and then Ryou laid himself on top of him. For several minutes he just ran his fingers through Seto's hair and simply stared into his eyes, searching them to be sure that Seto had been listening to what he had been saying. Leaning his head down, he pressed their lips into a tender kiss, the warmth from Ryou's close body forcing Seto to relax.

"Seto, why were you always so crass towards everyone, especially me and Joey?"

Seto released a sigh. The way that Ryou had been handling and reacting to his past was nothing like what he thought it would be, and instead of feeling even more pain he was starting to feel lighter and even free of his past struggles.

"I was terrified of being rejected and hurt again. I've already had to deal with so much shit, and I didn't want anyone, particularly you two to see that, so I just learned to turn all of my fear into anger." He looked away, then finished, "I thought I would never get burned that way."

Ryou picked up a small segment of Seto's hair and twirled it around his finger, using his other hand to gently stroke the back of his neck. Using his elbow, he propped himself up somewhat on the bed over Seto, careful not to pull his hair.

"It all makes sense now." He replied, releasing a sigh himself. He glanced down at his bony fingers. "I'm sorry that you still have to see me like this." He mumbled. "It will be a few more months until all of my fat is back to normal and the hair on my head has grown back." Seto glanced over at him, and then he reached out and cupped Ryou's face in his hand.

"Ryou, look at me." He said, gazing into Ryou's eyes, which were rich in color again and had a healthy glaze to them. "It doesn't bother me, Ryou. The fact that your hair is gone…it doesn't matter to me anymore." He then placed his other hand on the opposite side of Ryou's face and held him just like he had done when they had shared their first kiss. He swallowed hard, realizing what he was just about to say, and then stated, "I fell in love with _you_, Ryou. Not your hair."

Ryou's lip began to quiver, and just when he was about to say something Seto silenced him with a deep kiss.

- - - - -

For the second time that day, Seto found himself walking out of the hospital. Dr. Teleshov had ordered another round of blood tests to be certain that his body was still doing well without any drugs, and the small pricks he had felt when they drew some blood had been worth it to find out that his organs were going to be alright after all.

Suddenly a large hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him into an alleyway, causing him to momentarily loose his footing. Once Seto regained his stance, he turned around and found himself face to face with his dealer.

"What the hell was that for?" Seto snarled, yanking his arm away.

"You still need this?" He asked, holding up a small bag filled with cocaine needles. Seto glared down at the bag and shook his head. "No, I don't need your shit anymore. I've got a life now." He turned around and began to walk away.

"You know, my boss isn't going to be happy to have lost his most valuable customer."

"That's not my problem now, is it?" Seto snapped back over his shoulder. "Our deals are off." He continued on his way out of the alley.

"I think you and I both know that this isn't really the end, Seto. In fact, this is only the beginning." Seto stopped walking and tensed his jaw, turning halfway to glance at him.

"You're a smart guy, Mister Kaiba, I'll give you that. But these-" He raised his eyebrow and held up the bag with the drug needles. "These things don't just go away. Not even you can escape their grip, even though you have attempted rehab twice now."

Seto growled, and his dealer walked a little closer to him. When he leaned forward, Seto discovered him to reek of cigarette smoke, and he stifled a cough.

"Not even someone as attractive as Ryou can keep you away from this world for long."

Enraged and surprised that he knew so much, Seto grabbed the guy by his coat and lifted him into the air. "How the fuck do you know about him?!" Seto demanded.

The guy, not fazed by Seto's actions, simply laughed. "My boss makes it a high priority to get to know his clients, with or without their consent. He knows more about your life then you or the people within it do."

Seto shook the guy forcefully for several seconds, almost causing him to drop the bag. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you right here, right now!"

The man reached up and stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. "The boss made it clear that if any harm should befall one of his workers by your hand, all those people whom you hold dear and call your friends are to be executed, starting with yourself."

Growing frustrated, Seto slammed the guy against the nearest wall, almost knocking the wind out of him. "Who the hell is your boss?!"

A toothy grin grew onto the man's face and he laughed maniacally. "I'm sure that psychologist of yours, Dr. Teleshov, knows something about us. Of course, the moment he tells you anything, he is dead. That is the way we operate. It is very simple, actually. You open your mouth to say a name, you lose your head." Drawing his finger across his throat, he made a cutting sound.

Seto tensed his hands into the fabric of the guy's coat, seething in his mind. He forced himself to let go, and the guy instantly dropped to the ground. "Get the fuck out of here." Seto declared, his eyes wild with passion. The man brought himself to his feet and brushed himself off, making sure the contents of his bag were still in one piece. "I'll let this physical harassment go this once, Mister Kaiba. But don't think that simply by no longer being one of our customers that we will disappear. Besides, you will probably be calling on us again soon to relieve your needs. Or else, _we'll_ be contacting _you._" He eyed up Seto, who appeared to be ready to maul him at the drop of a pin. "We never forget a name or a face, Mister Kaiba. Now have yourself a…_pleasant_ day." He winked at Seto once before turning around and melting into the darkness of the hospital alleyway.

- - - - -

Joey tiptoed down the hallway of Dr. Teleshov's home, hoping that he wouldn't wake his new parent. Although he had been living there for just over two weeks, he had still not grown accustomed to the size and space of it yet, and it felt like forever before he had reached the doors of their library. He wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and turned it slightly, slipping inside and shutting it a moment later.

_I can't sleep. The news is just too disturbing, even though I really shouldn't be all that bothered by it. _Joey thought, wandering over to the table where he had left his backpack. _I mean, I knew that my dad was horrible, but I still can't grasp the idea that when the authorities went in to haul him off to jail they found him lying face down in his intestines. Why would somebody kill him like that? _He sighed, and unzipped his bag to pull out a few books. _It really doesn't matter, so long as he's gone and I can have an actual life now. At least I can use this extra energy to finish up the last of my homework. Finals start next week._ He reached inside to grab a pencil, but couldn't find any.

_Huh, that's strange…_ He glanced over at Dr. Teleshov's personal desk. _I bet there are a few pens in there._ Walking over to it, he yanked a drawer open and glanced over its contents, spying a pen sticking out from underneath a paper. He grabbed it and removed it from the drawer, and was about to close it again before noticing a shiny wooden handle sticking out on the other side of the paper. Curiosity took full hold of him, and so he lifted the paper to see what was underneath. His eyes grew wide as he beheld a pistol with an intricate cherry wood handle. Just to the side of the gun he noticed there to be a brass key and some tattered old papers written in Russian. He softly picked up the weapon and glanced over it, finding the barrel to be clean.

"Why does a psychologist have this?" He wondered out lout.

"You weren't supposed to find that already." A voice from behind says, causing Joey to jump. He whipped around, eyes darting, but didn't see anyone.

"Who's there?!" Joey exclaimed, turning around in a full circle and pointing the gun as he moves. His arms were shaking nervously, and suddenly a piercing laughter rang through the room.

"Put that thing down, Joey." The voice said. From the side, a hand flew out and grabbed the body of the weapon. "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

Joey stared at the hand, becoming fearful of what this person's intentions were. "Show yourself!" Joey stated, hoping he sounded more confident then he felt. Sure enough, a full body emerged from the deep shadows of the library. They took a step forward, and Joey locked eyes with harsh blue ones. The face he gazed upon was youthful and attractive, but the cheekbones remained stagnant and expressionless, the lips curled up in the corner in a mischievous manner similar to the dark gleam reflected from his eyes.

Joey's jaw dropped open, and the unexpected guest removed the gun from his grip and tossed it down onto a nearby shelf. Then as quickly as he had arrived, he disappeared back into the shadows once more, leaving Joey's mind teeming with questions.

The face that Joey had gazed upon had belonged to none other than Seto Kaiba.

_The end, but to be continued..._

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(Alright, so that was the end of Pure. Posted below for your enjoyment [and to get a taste of what the sequel will hold] I have posted the prologue to it below. What is the name of Pure's sequel? I have decided to call it.... Shadows.)

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_What if I told you that our shadows are alive?_

_A shadow in itself has no substance; it is just a dark, thin form that clings to your flesh when the light hits your body just so. A shadow is revealed when the surrounding light envelops your frame in such a way where it cannot fully cover your whole self at once, and that is when it reveals to you that dark and flexible form we call our shadow._

_But what if this shadow was no longer a part of yourself? What if it wasn't the result of light being unable to fully envelope you? What if your shadow had its own body? A body whose shadow was nothing more then the dark ghost of its past, which followed you around like a fatal attraction?_

_Well Nicolai, I have come to the disturbing realization that some of our shadows are quite alive. Even some of the skeletons in our closets still have enough of a heart to survive, yet they still hold close to them that bitter sting that pierces through us like a knife, forever changing us all the way to our core. _

_Please do not be concerned for me, for I have been surrounded by darkness and hatred for so long that it almost seems to be my light. Even though my father was the scum of the Earth, he taught me the valuable lesson of the masquerade, one trick of which I have made an intimate part of my daily life._

_You see, the only true way to defeat a dark shadow is to become one yourself, while at the same time not losing focus of who you really are. They can give you a new identity, strip you of the clothes on your back, and even suit you up to fight with them in their war, but all the while you are really just playing a wicked game of deception, a game in which your life is the thing that you lose if you do not come out as the victor._

_The Russian Mafia is in fact this living shadow that I have spoken of, a group that I know Seto and yourself have been involved in all too well. They are a brutish group of people that have either given their soul up for the sake of an infamous role in history or were born without a soul altogether._

_The only way to truly defeat these people and their shadows is by becoming a sheep in wolf's clothing and entering into their camp, a task of which I am ready and willing to take on. I must thank you for leaving your room the way that you did, for without the items in there I could not be alive or even penning this letter to you. _

_Now I must breathe the same polluted air as they do, talk the same poisonous words as they do, and spread more blood across the stone hallways of their castle then butter across the rotten bread they shove down your throats and force you to live off of if you are not fit to their standards of a perfect criminal._

_If you are reading this letter and have not received any other means of communication from me, that means that I am already dead and lost the ongoing battle between flesh and shadow…if that is so, please do not grieve long for me, for I would not want you to be distressed. You have become like a father to me, Nicolai, and for that debt which I can never repay nor explain in words, I am forever grateful._

_Signed, your son, Joey Wheeler, or as the Mafia has affectionately named me__**…Rasputin**_

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End file.
